Podcasts about Todoist

For years, I spent more energy trying to prevent other people's disappointment by saying yes and doing more. And I did so at the expense of my own exhaustion and burnout. In this episode, we're talking about a specific flavor of ADHD overwhelm: the kind that builds when your compassion, your capability, and your rejection sensitivity all push you toward being the person who handles everything for everyone else. If you've ever wondered why you used to manage this fine and suddenly can't, this episode names what changed and offers four steps to start shifting it. In Episode 370, You Will Discover: Why caring, capability, and rejection sensitivity combine to make you the go-to person for everyone else The jar-of-sand explanation for why this pattern used to feel manageable and doesn't anymore How your strengths can tip into obstacles when they run unchecked A 4-step way for your ADHD brain to notice the pattern, name the belief underneath it, and practice the pause before saying yes Resources From This Episode: Episode 366: Overpromising and ADHD The Overwhelm to Action Intensive Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains More ADHD Resources: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 People Pleasing Overwhelm 02:46 Why We Say Yes 05:18 The Hidden Cost 06:58 Capacity Jar Fills Up 10:45 ADHD Amplifiers 13:38 Strengths Turned Weakness 16:44 Start With Awareness 18:33 Four Steps To Shift 23:01 Practice The Pause 25:05 Wrap Up And Resources

Text your thoughts and questions!Do you ever wonder what tools are actually behind a productivity coach's own systems? Last week Lisa walked through the seven techniques she uses daily to keep her life and business running. This week, she's going deeper into the tech stack—the actual tools—behind those techniques. But this isn't a "best tools" list. It's Lisa's preferred tools list: the ones she's chosen, stuck with, adapted, or swapped out over time.In this episode, Lisa shares her personal tech stack, from the analog-meets-digital RocketBook for note-taking, to Todoist for fast, low-friction task capture, to the Google Suite that touches nearly every other tool on her list. She covers how Calendly eliminates scheduling back-and-forth, why Trello still fits her brain for visual project tracking (podcast guest pipelines and even recipe organization), and how ClickUp supports her podcast production workflow with her team. She also talks through Kit (formerly ConvertKit) for email automation and e-commerce, Canva for design and training recordings, and Riverside for high-quality remote podcast recording. Lisa closes with a few honorable mentions—WordPress/Divi, Voxer and WhatsApp for async coaching, and built-in social media schedulers—and reinforces the guiding principle behind every choice: process over platform. She figured out what she needed each tool to do for her before she ever committed to it, and that's the mindset she wants listeners to carry into their own tool decisions.Key Takeaways:Discover why "process over platform" should guide every tech tool decision, not the other way around.Learn how RocketBook bridges analog note-taking with digital storage for easy reference and sharing.Explore why Todoist's simplicity and low friction make it ideal for fast task capture and recurring tasks.Understand how Google Calendar, Drive, and Docs form the backbone of scheduling, storage, and writing workflows.Learn how Calendly integrates with Google Calendar to eliminate scheduling confusion and automate confirmations and reminders.Discover how Trello's Kanban-style boards support both project tracking (podcast guest spots) and personal organization (recipes).Explore why sometimes the best tool is the one your collaborators already use, like ClickUp for podcast production.Learn how Kit consolidated email automation and e-commerce into one streamlined platform.Discover how Canva simplifies design work and even supports recorded training presentations.Understand why Riverside's local recording ensures clean, reliable podcast audio and video quality.Explore honorable mentions like WordPress/Divi, Voxer/WhatsApp, and built-in social media schedulers.Learn why switching tools should only happen when it's genuinely worth the time and cost.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don't forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about Positively LivingⓇ and Lisa at https://positivelyproductive.com/podcast/Stop trying to fit into someone else's productivity rules! Grab my free Productivity Toolkit, a collection of workbooks designed to help you explore how you work, uncover what truly matters to you, and create your very own energy-friendly systems. Get it here: www.positivelyproductive.com/plpkitCONNECT WITH LISA ZAWROTNY:FacebookInstagramResourcesWork with Lisa! LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Episode 178 7 Techniques and Tools Used by a Productivity ExpertTech Tools PlaylistPositively Productive Resources LibraryBook a Clarity CallAsync CoachingProductivity Toolkit(Find links to books/gear on the Positively Productive Resources Page.)Dance Song Playlist V1, V2, V3Music by Ian and Jeff ZawrotnyStart your own podcast with Buzzsprout!Request this Toolkit and other free resources at the Resources Page.

Why do some of our best ideas never become reality? We have the vision. We have the ambition. We may even have the skills. But somehow, the idea stays in our head instead of turning into results. In this episode of The Growth Now Movement, I sit down with Brian to unpack one of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs, leaders, and high achievers: the gap between potential and execution. Brian has spent years thinking about this problem because he's lived it himself. He talks openly about what it was like to carry an identity of having "uncommon potential" while simultaneously feeling the pressure to prove it. That pursuit of external validation eventually pushed him toward an unsustainable version of ambition—one driven by hustle, achievement, and the need to constantly demonstrate that he was capable. But eventually, something had to change. We talk about the shift from extrinsic validation to healthier, more grounded ambition, including a pivotal moment before Brian launched his Burpees for Vets campaign—a project that ultimately raised more than $1 million. That experience became part of a much bigger lesson: Potential doesn't create results. Follow-through does. Brian also completely reframes the way we think about productivity. Instead of simply asking how much you can accomplish, he defines productivity as: Quality × Quantity. It's not just about doing more. It's about making sure the work you're doing actually matters—and then measuring, reflecting, and improving how you execute. We get into the practical systems Brian uses to make that happen, including dynamic time blocking, schedule-first planning, daily check-ins, end-of-day reviews, and a Todoist-based task system. He also shares a simple but powerful definition of accountability: "Keeping track." Rather than viewing accountability as someone constantly checking up on you, Brian believes you need a system that makes your commitments visible so you can actually see whether you're doing what you said you were going to do. We also unpack his environment + effort framework for follow-through and why changing your environment can sometimes be more powerful than simply trying harder. Brian shares how a pre-commitment with a mentor helped him finally finish his book draft—proof that sometimes the best productivity strategy isn't more motivation. It's creating consequences and structures that make follow-through easier. And toward the end of the conversation, Brian gets deeply personal about his recent journey into Christian faith and how finding faith has changed the way he thinks about ambition, identity, purpose, and what success actually means. If you've ever felt like you're capable of more but struggle to consistently execute, this episode will give you a different way to think about productivity, accountability, discipline, and personal growth. In This Episode, We Discuss: Why great ideas so often fail to become results The "uncommon potential" identity and the pressure that comes with it The difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation How external validation can create unsustainable ambition Brian's Burpees for Vets campaign and raising over $1 million Why productivity isn't simply about doing more The Quality × Quantity productivity framework How to measure, reflect, and improve your performance Why your schedule should come before your task list Dynamic time blocking and intentional planning Brian's Todoist task-management system The power of end-of-day reviews What accountability actually means Why "keeping track" can change your follow-through The relationship between environment and effort How pre-commitment creates accountability Why motivation isn't enough How Brian finally finished his book draft Creating systems that make execution easier Redefining success and ambition Brian's recent journey into Christian faith How faith can change your relationship with achievement and identity

✨ Discover your overwhelm type here (free quiz) Creating Fall Routines: It sounds like such a helpful and supportive idea for the ADHD brain, right? That is...until you go all in trying to rebuild them all at once. In episode 369 of the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast, we're talking about why this transition from summer to fall feels particularly overwhelming for ADHD brains and three actionable strategies to help. In Episode 369, you will discover: Why it's helpful to think of "getting back to a fall routine" as rebuilding, not returning The hidden cost of stacking dozens of small transitions on top of each other all at once Why an instant fall reset backfires, and what a gradual reentry ramp looks like instead Three small starting points to ease into the season without overhauling everything at once Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains More ADHD Resources: Check out Episode 362: 5 Reasons Your ADHD Brain Can't Stop Hyperfocusing Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 Fall Routines Overwhelm 01:41 Why This Shift Hits Hard 04:09 Reason 1 Rebuilding Routines 08:00 Reason 2 New Skill Sets 09:31 Reasons 3 and 4 Pile Up 12:23 Reason 5 Instant Reset Myth 13:35 Quick Recap and Quiz 16:07 Tip 1 Start One Routine 17:51 Tip 2 Build Re Entry Ramp 19:38 Tip 3 Define Good Enough 21:31 Wrap Up and Next Steps

This episode is brought to you by Legendairy Milk. Use code NEWMOM15 at checkout to get 15% off She's Flowing.Aly Wente — fifth-generation winegrower and Chief Revenue Officer of Wente Family Vineyards — joins us to talk real strategies for reconciling a demanding career and a thriving family life. Drawing on leadership at America's oldest continuously family-owned winery and a modern, sustainability-minded approach, Aly reframes the idea of “balance,” shares systems that actually work, and names the practical supports that help prevent burnout while preserving what matters most.What we coverWhether “balance” is realistic or needs reframing as priorities, rhythm, or boundariesHow to distinguish non-negotiable commitments from habits driven by guilt or expectationConcrete approaches to managing the mental and logistical load of career + householdBoundary-setting tactics for work and home that hold up under pressureHigh-impact systems, routines, and outside supports that make day-to-day life manageableWhere to start when you feel overwhelmed: small, sustainable first stepsWho this episode is forWorking parents navigating career and caregiving responsibilitiesMoms returning to work or climbing the ladder while raising childrenPartners, managers, and HR leaders who support working familiesAnyone seeking practical systems to reduce stress and increase presence at work and homeAbout our GuestAly Wente — Fifth-generation winegrower and Chief Revenue Officer, Wente Family Vineyards. Aly leads brand, hospitality, and customer experience strategy while honoring a 140+ year family legacy and applying a modern, sustainability-focused perspective to California wine.Connect with Aly Wente:Official Website: https://wentevineyards.com/IG: @wente & @alywenteonealKey takeawaysBalance is often less about perfect equality and more about clarity of priorities, boundaries, and rhythms.Audit your commitments: identify what truly needs your time versus what can be delegated, delayed, or dropped.Share the mental load by naming tasks, assigning ownership, and using simple systems (calendars, shared lists, routines).Boundary-setting requires clear communication, predictable routines, and consistent follow-through — both at work and at home.Start with one small system (e.g., weekly planning session, shared family calendar, or a dedicated self-care appointment) and build from there.Outside supports (childcare, flexible work arrangements, professional networks) compound impact — ask for them early and often.Practical tips mentionedRun a weekly 20–30 minute family planning huddle to align priorities and shift logistic load.Batch work and family tasks into predictable blocks to reduce context switching.Use a shared digital calendar and task list so responsibilities are visible and transferable.Normalize asking for help and negotiate flexible solutions at work with specific proposals.Protect at least one non-negotiable recovery routine (sleep, movement, or a weekly reset) to reduce burnout risk.Resources mentionedWente Family Vineyards — company and hospitality informationSuggested tools: shared calendars (Google Calendar, iCal), shared task apps (Todoist, Trello), family planning templatesSubscribe for more stories from working parents and leaders balancing career and family. Share your best practical tip for work–mom balance on Instagram and tag @newmomtalk.podcast — we may feature listener tips on a future episode.work mom balance, work–mom life balance, Aly Wente, Wente Family Vineyards, working parents, mom career balance, managing mental load, boundary setting for parents, family logistics systems, burnout prevention for moms, parental support strategies, sustainable routines for parents, shared family calendar, weekly family planning, flexible work for parents, leadership and parenting, winery leadership, California wine and family business, Legendairy Milk, Legendairy Milk nursing supplements, Legendairy Milk prenatal products, Legendairy Milk postpartum supplements, Legendairy Milk products, nursing supplements, prenatal supplements, postpartum products, She's Flowing discount, NEWMOM15www.NewMomTalk.comBuy Me A CoffeeIG: @NewMomTalk.PodcastYouTube: @NewMomTalkMariela@NewMomTalk.comInterested in being a guest? Shoot us an email!- best parenting podcast- best new mom podcast- best podcasts for new moms- best pregnancy podcast- best podcast for expecting moms- best podcast for moms- best podcast for postpartum- best prenatal podcast- best postnatal podcast- best podcast for postnatal moms- best podcast for pregnancy moms- new mom - expecting mom- first time mom

Starting can take a surprising amount of energy for ADHD brains, even when we truly want to do the thing. In this episode, we make sense of why task initiation feels so demanding and explore practical supports for each stage: getting started, staying focused, handling distractions, and wrapping up in a way that makes the next start easier. In Episode 368, you will discover: Why task initiation demands so much energy and what that means for ADHD brains A five-stage flight analogy: pre-flight, takeoff, cruising, turbulence, and landing Practical strategies for clearing distractions, riding out mid-task turbulence, and building a repeatable shutdown routine How a simple "logbook" entry can make your next work session easier to start Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains Resources From This Episode: Episode 363: The ADHD To-Do List Strategy You're Missing Episode 367: Overwhelming To Do List? Try This. Book a free coaching consultation Watch on YouTube: @I'm Busy Being Awesome More ADHD Resources: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 Why Starting Is Hard 01:39 Common Initiation Blocks 03:41 Flight Plan Analogy 03:59 Preflight Setup Checklist 06:27 Deicing And Warmup 08:56 Line Up And Wait 10:13 Takeoff Sterile Focus 15:13 Cruising Flow State 17:02 Turbulence And Distractions 20:42 Coaching Invitation 21:51 Descent And Shutdown 24:44 Logbook And Key Takeaways 26:18 Final Wrap And Resources

Elapsed Time Adder is Live in the App Store! MacBook Neo – Can It Replace an iPad mini? Why I Left Fantastical and Todoist for Structured ETENWOLF Zephyr S3 Air Compressor Support the Show Apple Photos – Making Your Memories Last with an Easy to Access Archive Audiobook Audio (V3) Part 7: The Noise You Notice Visualising Trails with Google Earth Pro Transcript of NC_2026_08_16 Join the Conversation: allison@podfeet.com podfeet.com/slack Support the Show: Patreon Donation Apple Pay or Credit Card one-time donation PayPal one-time donation Podfeet Podcasts Mugs at Zazzle NosillaCast 20th Anniversary Shirts Referral Links: Setapp - 1 month free for you and me 15% off Carbon Copy Cloner Wispr Flow - 1 month free for you PETLIBRO - 30% off for you and me Parallels Toolbox - 3 months free for you and me Learn through MacSparky Field Guides - 15% off for you and me Backblaze - One free month for me and you Eufy - $40 for me if you spend $200. Sadly nothing in it for you. PIA VPN - One month added to Paid Accounts for both of us CleanShot X - Earns me $25%, sorry nothing in it for you but my gratitude

Grab the Guide ... FREE! If you've spent years thinking the problem with planning is you — too scattered, too inconsistent, not disciplined enough — this guide is FOR YOU! Visit https://takecontroladhd.com/planwithadhd and get started today!--- We're on summer break, so this week is a Revisit: a favorite conversation pulled back out of the archive. In this one, Pete and Nikki put on their detective hats to break down an ADHD challenge.The idea is simple. "I can't focus" or "I can't follow through" is too big and vague to solve, so the episode is about investigating what's actually getting in your way and finding the specific roadblock underneath. There's a memorable South Park metaphor involved, plus a practical, low-pressure approach to trying one strategy at a time and keeping track of what works. An encouraging, useful listen, whether it's your first time or a return trip.Links & NotesDr. Dodge Rea's podcast, The Change Paradox, on TruStory FM — and Nikki's guest appearance, Nikki Kinzer and The ADHD Paradox.How to ADHD with Jessica McCabe — the channel behind the motivation video that sparked this conversation (YouTube).Come join the ADHD Discord community.Support the show on Patreon.Tools mentioned in the episode: OmniFocus, OmniGraffle, MindNode, Todoist, and Day One.South Park's "Gnomes" — the origin of the underpants gnomes. (00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast (02:20) - Check out Nikki on The Change Paradox (03:48) - Skunkface (08:19) - Listener Question: Striking out as an Entrepreneur? (15:28) - Breaking Down an ADHD Challenge (23:38) - Underpants Gnomes (28:36) - Discerning the "Why" ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

You did the brain dump. You got it all out. You felt that incredible sense of relief for about thirty seconds... And then your ADHD brain looked at the full list and went completely offline. In episode 367, we're talking about the missing piece between the brain dump and actually getting started: the working card. In Episode 367, you will discover: Why ADHD brains hit a wall when staring at a long task list (and what's happening cognitively) The pantry-and-plate framework for rethinking your task system entirely How to build a working card in three different ways to work with your brain How to match your daily task card to what your day actually looks like Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains Resources From This Episode: Episode 310: The Work Is Never Done Episode 359: Time Blocking with ADHD and Magnetic Tiles Episode 365: Overpromising and ADHD: What's Actually Going On Episode 366: 4 Strategies to Stop ADHD Overpromising Book a free coaching consultation Watch on YouTube: @I'm Busy Being Awesome More ADHD Resources: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 Brain Dump Overwhelm 01:41 Client Question Setup 05:08 Why Lists Freeze Us 08:05 Inbox Zero Myth 11:03 Working Card Method 12:00 Pantry Plate Analogy 16:56 Analog And Digital Options 22:45 Coaching Invitation 24:01 Plan By Context 28:35 Low Energy Days 30:22 Weekly Challenge Wrap 31:59 Final Takeaways  

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” That was Theodore Roosevelt, giving his thoughts on making a decision, and in this week's episode, I am answering a question about why we may be trying to solve a time management problem the wrong way. Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin   Learn more about the Productivity Academy   Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived Plan Your Week With Me: The Weekly Planning Matrix. The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script |428 Hello, and welcome to episode 428 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  If you've followed this podcast for any length of time, you will have heard me talk about processes and routines. It's these little things that have the effect of automating your daily decision-making requirements.  If you always start your day in the same way, you no longer have to decide what to do when you wake up. You do it automatically.  And this is important.  Reducing the number of decisions you make each day prevents something called “Prefrontal Cortex Overload”, which is often called “decision fatigue”. And it's not woo-woo science. It's very real The prefrontal cortex is the part of your brain that deals with executive function. These functions include impulse control, evaluating something, and making choices. Basically, decisions.  When your prefrontal cortex becomes tired and fatigued, you find it harder to make logical, objective decisions, and instead your brain begins to use the amygdala, the part of your brain that controls emotions.  In effect, you begin making decisions based on how you are feeling.  And that leaves you picking the easy and exciting over the important, mundane tasks.  It also leaves you with little discipline, which often means you eat unhealthy food and stay up later than you should.  When overwhelmed, the brain defaults to the path of least resistance by delaying decisions, defaulting to the status quo, or refusing to choose at all. You then procrastinate, feel exhausted, anxious and overwhelmed.  When you set up processes and routines as well as setting some “if this then that” rules, you reduce the burden you place on your pre-frontal cortex.  And all that explanation now brings me onto this week's question. Which means it's time for me to hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice. Some say she's always on holiday; all I know is she's called “The Mystery Podcast Voice.  This week's question comes from Fabian. Fabian asks, hi Carl, you recommend that you should do your daily planning at the end of the day, not at the beginning. But I am always so exhausted at the end of the day that I find I just cannot do any planning. Is there anything I can do to consistently plan at the end of the day?  Hi Fabian. Thank you for your question.  When I read your question, my thought was that it might be because you are not getting enough sleep, or that your work causes you to make decisions all day about what to work on next. Nothing is pre-planned or pre-decided.  Both of which could be the underlying reason for feeling exhausted at the end of the day.  If you're not getting enough sleep, the effect you will experience would be the same as if you were experiencing decision fatigue. An inability to make decisions.  And that is why, at the end of the day, you find it so difficult to plan the next day. After all, what is planning? It's making decisions about what you will work on tomorrow.  So, if a lack of sleep is the issue, then the fix would be to look at your sleep cycle and make adjustments there.  However, for most people, the problem is making too many decisions throughout the day, leaving them feeling mentally drained and lacking in any motivation to do anything.  This is where routines, processes and rules come into play.  Every productive day is the result of hundreds of decisions: What deserves my attention? What can wait? What should I ignore? What should I delegate? When is “good enough” truly good enough? If each time you come up with something new and you have to decide whether something deserves your attention, whether it can wait, or whether you could ignore it, you're tapping into your prefrontal cortex's energy reserves.  And your prefrontal cortex does not have an 850cc engine that only draws a minuscule amount of energy. No. It has a full-throated V8 and drinks fuel like it's put a straw in a lake and called it a warm-up. This is why pre-establishing what your core work is matters. Once you know what your core work is and what that work looks like at a doing level, you are pre-deciding what deserves your attention. It's the work you are employed to do. It's important and must be done.  Now, all you need do is decide when you will do it.  And with core work, given that the type of work you're doing will be the same, you can pre-block time each day for doing it.  For example, you could protect 10 am to lunchtime for doing your core work each day. That means you are no longer deciding what to do each day. You've pre-decided; it's blocked on your calendar, and all you need to do now is turn up and do the work.  It's always fascinated me that the most stressed-out people I've come across in my professional life are the ones who've told themselves they can't do that, and that they have to be available for everyone immediately they ask.  Complete nonsense, of course, but there really are some people who believe that.  In this situation, a person is constantly having to decide whether they should respond to this person or that person. Who is more important? Should I call my boss, or perhaps send her a text message? “Oh shoot! This person's been waiting 10 minutes. I must call them immediately!)  It's also why the least stressed-out people are the ones who are comfortable turning on Do Not Disturb on their devices when they sit down to do some focused work.  They've made the decision that for the next hour or two they will work on a specific type of task. If something was a genuine emergency, they would be told somehow.  I remember last year, when we were changing our car, that the sales manager we dealt with was wonderfully laid-back. Within a few days of starting the process to change our car, I worked out that he would respond to our messages between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm or between 4:00 and 5:00 pm, depending on when we messaged him.  It was consistent, and I was hugely impressed.  When I picked the new car up, I asked him about it, and he said he gets so many messages and emails each day that he wouldn't be able to do any work if he responded instantly to everything that came in. So, he does an hour before lunch and an hour before he finishes the day.  Brilliant. And I bet you he never gets any complaints about it.  So, having a process for dealing with your communications is just as important as having time protected for doing the work that matters each day. Then we come to your routines. If you were to have a small fifteen-minute closing down routine at the end of the day, this would again minimise the decisions you need to make.  For example, at work, I will close down by clearing my desktop and tidying up my desk. I clear out Todoist and process my inbox. Then I open up my daybook and plan out tomorrow by writing in my appointments and the most important things I have to do tomorrow, and that's it. Done.  It tells me that my workday is now finished. There can also be other things you might do too. For example, at home, perhaps before you go to bed, you load the dishwasher and turn it on, or if you don't have a dishwasher, you wash all the pots and mugs before going to bed.  That's a routine. A going-to-bed routine. Pre-decided, and after a few weeks, you would feel uncomfortable if you didn't do that.  And then there are your rules, or standards.  Again, this helps you make pre-decisions so that, on a day-to-day basis, you don't have to.  For example, I have many of my coaching clients make a commitment to respond to their emails within a specified period of time.  Let's say you set a rule to respond to all your emails within 24 hours. This means that any email that is close to your time limit must be responded to today. Anything else can wait.  For emails that will require you to do a lot of work, the response time still holds, but the response is to reply with something like: “Thank you for your email. I will get it back to you as soon as I can” This way you filter out the genuinely urgent from the non-urgent. If the person you're responding to comes back to you saying they need it by such and such a date, now you know it's important, and you can prioritise it accordingly. If they respond with, “Thanks”. You know it can wait.  The difference between a rule and a routine is that routines happen automatically. You do the same thing at the same time. A rule is conditional. A sort of “if this, then that”.  If I have a presentation to do this week, I will protect an hour the day before for preparation, for example.  Processes are pre-decided methods for doing the different types of work you do. For example, “if I get a sales enquiry, this is the process I follow.” What these routines, processes and rules do is they reduce the number of decisions you need to make each day. This helps to prevent you from overloading your decision-making abilities, which in turn reduces the amount of mental fatigue and tiredness you experience at the end of the day.  Daily planning the day before is a decision-reducing routine. When you plan the day before, it leaves you knowing exactly what you need to do when you begin the next day. No decisions to be made. You know exactly what needs to be done and when you will do it.  You can then preserve your energy for the decisions that may need to be made if something changes and you have to decide what you will work on. The new circumstances.  This is why NASA's Mission Control in Houston in the 1960s practised every possible eventuality before any mission. It was this practice that enabled the brilliant people in Mission Control to get the Apollo 13 crew home safely in April 1970. They had practised that eventuality so many times that the decisions required were already made for them.  So there you go, Fabian. I hope that has helped.  Turn your daily planning into an end-of-day routine. Create a checklist to guide you (again reducing decisions). This daily planning will also help reduce the decisions you need to make the next day, which in turn will leave you feeling less exhausted at the end of the day.  Thank you for your question, and thank you to you too for listening.  Don't forget, my Productivity Academy is now open, and we have a date for our first live event. Sunday, 30 August. The topic will be where to start and a general Q&A session. Not to be missed. Joining now will give you plenty of time to do your homework before the session.  I'll leave the details of the Academy in the show notes for you.  It just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

That gap between what you promised and what you actually delivered is familiar territory for a lot of ADHD brains. In episode 366, we're building on the mindset work from last week with four practical strategies to help close that distance. In Episode 366, you will discover: How to create a default pause phrase that gives your brain breathing room before agreeing to anything with a timeline Why ADHD brains systematically underestimate the steps inside a "simple" task, and a straightforward way to map them out A time-multiplier strategy that helps you build a more realistic picture of how long your work actually takes How calendaring the doing instead of just the deadline reveals whether a commitment is actually feasible Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains Resources From This Episode: Episode 365: Overpromising and ADHD - What's Actually Going On Episode 337: ADHD and Deadlines: 5 Tips That Actually Work Book a free coaching consultation More ADHD Resources: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 ADHD Overpromise Burnout 01:32 Series Context and Recap 03:18 Strategy One Pause Phrase 06:26 Strategy Two Define the Ask 09:53 Coaching Break Know Doing Gap 11:04 Strategy Three Time Multiplier 15:50 Strategy Four Doing Dates 18:07 Next Steps  

Are you on a mission to find the best productivity app or system, and find that no matter how many apps or new methods you try, you still find yourself overwhelmed, backlogged and stuck? Well, this week I want to tell you about a new way I can help you.  Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin   Learn more about the Productivity Academy The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script |427 Hello, and welcome to episode 427 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  Eleven years ago, I began writing blog posts on time management and productivity. My goal was simple. To help people navigate the rapidly changing world of time management and productivity.  In 2015, it seemed almost every day a new task manager or notes app would come out promising to make organising your day easier.  This meant established productivity apps such as OmniFocus, Things, Remember the Milk and Todoist had to change to keep up. So these apps started adding features, changing their design languages, and everything started to become more complicated. AI today is doing exactly the same thing. Promising a lot and forcing established productivity tools to add more and more features, whether we want them or not.  When trying to decide if a new productivity tool is all that it promises to be, I've noticed that many of these promises are repackaged things that already exist.  For example, I've been using an app called TextExpander for fifteen years now. TextExpander inserts pre-written “snippets” of text through a keyboard shortcut.  I use it for writing dates so I don't need to look up the date. All I type is “Edate”, and it will give me the date in the UK format: day, month and year.  I also have some pre-written thank you emails there too. They are written by me in my writing style, and a simple keyboard shortcut will give me the email. While TextExpander won't send the email for me, all I need to do is hit Command and return on my keyboard, and it will send it.  Then we have tools such as Calendly and Acuity. These tools allow you to set up times on your calendar that people can pick from to set up an appointment with you. Once set up, this works in the background, and you have nothing to do.  No back-and-forth negotiating a time. People just click on a link, and these tools deal with time zone differences and all the admin.  No need for AI to get involved.  AI will inevitably change the way we work; for many people, it already has. However, there are some principles that never change.  There will still be 24 hours in a day, you will still be able to only focus on one thing at a time, and you won't be able to be in more than one place at a time.  Your energy will fluctuate, and you will need to get enough sleep.  The need to manage our time is still there. We still have friends and family, work commitments and perhaps some hobbies. They all need time.  And the principles of time management will not change. If you want to do something, it will require time. Whether that's cleaning out your car or sitting on the sofa chatting with an AI bot.  Time management and productivity skills will still be needed no matter what advances AI brings to our workplaces and lives. Thinking about all this led me to look at how people are engaging with my Learning Centre. This is where I have courses and programmes to help people become better at managing their time and become more productive.  As I was looking, I noticed something interesting. The people who have made the biggest positive changes in their lives weren't the people who bought the most courses.They were the people who kept learning. They perhaps began with my COD course, my free productivity fundamentals course, then went on to purchase the Time and Life Mastery programme or the Time Sector System course.  Some went on to join my coaching programme so they could have guidance on building their own, tailor-made system.  This highlighted a mistake many people make with time management and productivity. They approach it as if it were a destination. Find the perfect app, read the right book, take the right course, watch one more YouTube video, then they'll finally be organised. Yet that's not how it works, and you've probably noticed. A few years ago, the trend was minimalist desk set-ups. This is where people stripped everything from their workspace so all they had was a small plant, a simple lamp and a laptop attached to a large monitor.  YouTube was full of videos of people showing off their desk setups. They looked great, but did absolutely nothing for their productivity.  Now the trend is to have books and notebooks everywhere. The plants survived, but the little desk accessories have reappeared. Minimalism seems to have lost its appeal. Few people have been able to stick with it.  It seems keeping things minimal is challenging and time-consuming. I also saw something similar when I was at university; I studied part-time. 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm every Tuesday and Thursday.  On our first day, there were just over 200 students crammed into the lecture theatre. All excitedly looking forward to their graduation day four years later with an LL.B Honours degree.  I remember the professor in charge of the course telling us that 70 to 80% of those in that lecture theatre would not graduate. Not because the course was particularly difficult. It wasn't. But because committing six hours a week to attending lectures for four years would be a commitment beyond most people.  And on our graduation day, there were just 24 students left. Almost 200 students had quit! It didn't matter what tools or processes you had. What mattered was understanding the basic principles of time management. Turning up consistently and doing the work.  It had nothing to do with academic ability or how smart someone was. The people who graduated were the ones who turned up constantly and managed their time so they were able to attend the lectures and do the reading (there was a lot of reading to do for a law degree) week after week for four years.  Being good at time management and consistently productive is more like fitness. Let's say you wanted to get fit. You wouldn't expect to take a three-hour course on weight training and suddenly become stronger.  Fitness doesn't work like that. The same is true of playing the piano, learning a language, cooking, and photography. These are not one-time learning experiences; they're continuous. And learning to better manage your time and be more productive is no different. Our lives and work change. We may begin as a junior administrative assistant, but within a year or two we are managing a team of four people and overseeing projects.  You start a family; now suddenly you have a little monster waking up every two or three hours screaming through the night. And as your kids grow up, you have commitments to take them to and pick them up from swimming or football practice.  The time management skills you learned at school and university don't work in the workplace. And as you change jobs, you need to learn new ways to manage your time both professionally and personally.  The real challenge isn't knowing what to do. If you've followed this podcast or my YouTube channel, you will already know you should plan your week and day, spend less time reacting to emails and messages, and protect time for your core work (at least I hope you do). The challenge is applying what you know consistently while juggling meetings, deadlines, family commitments and the unexpected events that arrive every day. This is why consuming more productivity content isn't going to create the change you want. As James Clear's Atomic Habits (a fantastic book) shows: Information fades; your habits remain. Over the years I've noticed something about many of the people I've coached. The ones that become brilliant at managing their time don't just complete a course or have one or two coaching sessions and disappear; they keep coming back. They ask questions, refine their systems, and they adapt as their careers and family lives change. They come back to ideas we implemented years ago and learn new ideas because they now have different challenges.  My best clients have been with me for over eight years, and they are the ones who've seen incredible changes, so much so that they've inspired me! I realise now that when my driving instructor told me years ago that: “You don't learn to really drive a car until you've passed your driving test.”  the same is true about your time management and productivity: you don't become more productive and better at managing your time until you start practising what you learned.  All this got me thinking about what productivity education should look like over the next five to ten years. I don't believe it's about creating more courses, and it's certainly not about developing more complicated systems, packaging them up and selling them.  Instead, it's about creating a place where people can continue learning, refining and improving over time, just like many of my coaching clients have done. They understand that becoming organised and in control of their time isn't a project; it's a lifelong commitment. And like every commitment, it works for those who stick with it. So, going forward, I will be introducing more live training events for you.  I started doing a few live training events in 2023, and some of my favourite moments have been in those sessions. I've been able to answer questions, explore new ideas and help people apply what they've learned to their own situations. Standalone courses don't allow me to do that, because we are all different, with different professions and responsibilities; no ‘one size' will fit everyone, and that's frustrating as a teacher.  Live training changes that. It gives you a place to ask me questions directly related to your challenges. That is what I want to make an ongoing part of the learning experience, not something that only happens occasionally. The courses and programmes give you the technical knowledge and theory. The live training gives you the practical skills to put what you learn in the courses into practice in ways that work for you.  It's the difference between learning to drive by reading a book or getting in a car with an instructor and actually going out there and driving. All this thinking led me yesterday to launch my Productivity Academy. It is the result of months of work, giving you a place where you can keep coming back, get answers to your questions, and work with a group of people on a similar journey as yourself.  And it includes monthly live training sessions that you can join, ask questions, and have the principles applied directly to the way you work.  It will also give you access to all my current and future courses, along with a recommended roadmap for taking them.  My overall goal hasn't changed. That's to help as many people as I can become better at managing their time and being more productive so they can enjoy the things they want to enjoy doing.  But I realise I need to do more, and the best way I can do that is to increase the live training element, which will allow me to help you navigate the current and future ways we work.  If you've already purchased several of my courses, please don't think you need to replace them. You don't. Those courses remain yours exactly as before. The Academy is simply a different way to learn. The courses will give you the theory and know-how. The Academy will give you the practical skills (and some accountability) to put what you have learned into practice. If you enjoy learning independently, nothing changes. If, however, you'd like regular guidance, monthly training and access to everything I create going forward, I think you'll really enjoy becoming an Academy Member.  I will put a link in the show notes to the Academy's website, and feel free to email me if you have any questions.  I hope to be able to “meet” you in one of our live training sessions soon.  Thank you for listening, and it just remains for me to wish you a very, very productive week.   

How many times have you said yes to something and felt a flicker of doubt almost immediately after, like your ADHD brain was already doing the math on everything you just committed to, realizing it doesn't add up? In this episode, we open two-part series on overpromising and underdelivering: what's actually going on when this happens, why ADHD brains are especially prone to it, and how to start working with the stories we build around it. In Episode 365, You Will Discover: What overpromising and underdelivering actually is, and the two layers underneath it The four ADHD-specific reasons this pattern shows up so often, including one that doesn't get talked about enough How to start using the equal airtime method to look at where this pattern shows up in your own life Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains More ADHD Resources: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 The Overpromise Trap 03:12 Two Layers Explained 05:43 Why ADHD Overcommits 06:02 Time Blindness 08:56 Planning And Sequencing 10:36 Enthusiasm And Novelty 12:21 Overcompensating To Prove 14:51 Beliefs And Cognitive Bias 18:25 Equal Air Time Tool 19:59 Coaching Break 21:19 Side One Full Picture 26:24 Side Two Follow Through 29:49 Try It This Week 30:58 Wrap Up And Resources  

How often does your brain offer "I don't know" when you're trying to figure out your next step? For so many of us with ADHD, this thought shows up constantly…and a lot of the time, we just accept it. In this episode, we're looking at what "I don't know" is actually doing, why our brains offer it frequently, and three coaching questions that can help us find the answer that's already there. In Episode 364, You Will Discover: Why "I don't know" isn't always what it seems How to tell the difference between the two different types of "I don't know" and why it matters. Three coaching questions to move through ADHD indecision and get your brain out of the freeze Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains Resources From This Episode: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! More ADHD Resources: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 Introduction 01:17 Understanding I Don't Know 02:48 Two Types of I Don't Know 03:05 External Knowledge Gaps 04:19 Inner Knowing 06:01 My Academia to Coaching Transition 09:16 Identifying Your I Don't Know 10:00 Private Coaching Opportunity 11:09 Three Powerful Questions 11:31 Question One: How to Find Out 13:01 Question Two: What Do You Know 15:08 Applying What You Know Internally 16:26 Question Three: Top Three Guesses 17:37 Workplace Conversation Example 19:36 Project Overwhelm Example 21:30 Bringing It All Together 22:44 Closing and Resources

AI can generate code faster, but that does not make software delivery simple. It shifts the pressure to requirements, architecture, review, and technical judgment.Goncalo Silva, CTO at Doist, explains how AI is changing the way teams behind Todoist and Twist build software. He shares why greater individual autonomy has led to more collaboration, why deep expertise still matters, and how faster execution is reshaping product delivery, project planning, and engineering hiring.What Leaders Can Take From This• Faster code generation makes strong planning and clear requirements more important, not less important.• Designers, product leaders, and engineers can work from richer prototypes, but production systems still need experienced technical judgment.• Engineering capacity does not have to move into other functions. Teams can use it to improve reliability, performance, quality, and the amount of valuable work they ship.• Token counts are a weak measure of progress. Doist looks at team feedback and whether projects are staying on track.• Engineering interviews need to test architecture, decision making, curiosity, and depth, not simply whether a candidate can produce working code.Approximate Highlights00:00 Meet GonCalo Silva and the products behind Doist02:00 How broadly AI is being used across Doist04:15 Why greater autonomy has brought teams closer together09:45 Where nontechnical coding works, and where it creates risk17:50 How AI compressed a major refactoring effort by 20 to 30 times25:05 Measuring AI value without counting tokens30:20 Why faster execution requires more up front planning34:50 How Doist changed its engineering interview processOne Line That Stuck“We are the bottleneck. Our attention span, our ability to memorize, our ability to understand, and deep expertise.”Follow The Tech Trek for more conversations on how technical teams are changing the way they build, hire, and operate.

Si parla di batteria e funzioni bloccate di iOS, lettori RSS e piccole chicche da Mac, LackRack e video della settimana, workflow tra YouTube e Todoist, Octopus Energy in Home Assistant, irrigazione smart, screenshot lunghi e limiti dello sviluppo su iOS.

Welcome to Episode 162 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing Welcome to Episode #162 of “Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing” In this episode, I’m talking about the “Weekly Business Consistency Plan” I created with ChatGPT recently. If you email me at conniegreenhouse@yahoo.com, I am happy to send you the share link for this training. Concistency is the primary reason that people are not successful in their endeavors in just about any area you can think of. I dealt with this as well when I came online as an entrepreneur. Please email me at the address above and I will send you the link for the “Weekly Business Consistency Plan” so you may get started right away. I am sharing a live session of my “Really Simple Authority Blogging” ongoing training course with you and know you will benefit from the marketing strategies I am sharing and teaching here. Be sure to connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com or on X at https://x.com/ConnieGreen so I may serve you in the areas where my help could make a huge difference in your results. I’m going to share with you how much fun I’m having with creating simple courses using AI (Artificial Intelligence) in about 30 minutes. I know you can do the same thing. Keep it simple, and add the short course you create to a page on your existing website/blog. In this episode I’m discussing how to use keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow your business. Your prospects and future clients, customers, and colleagues are waiting to connect with you, but if they can’t find you online it will never happen. Make it simple for your target audience to find you by using the keywords and phrases they are most likely to be searching for on Google, Bing, and the other search engines. The Power and Gift of Change”- We are all changing throughout each day, and I think we must embrace this change in order to grow and move forward. Changing can take many forms, and if you look back through your life you will come to understand that you are not the same person you were even a year ago. Here is a quote about this you may resonate with… “Growth lives outside the comfort zone. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably doing it right.” ~ Marie Forleo I believe that our businesses are based on the concept of serving others. When you start on online (or even a brick and mortar) business, your goal is to serve others with what you know and to benefit in multiple ways, including by earning an excellent income. I’m sharing several examples in this podcast about my own and experiences with clients over the years. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This morning I was reading the message written by outgoing Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In it, he stated that his “parting prescription” for the American people is to cultivate a strong sense of community to help themselves and others. He added, “Relationships, service, and purpose are the time-tested triad of fulfillment that stands in contrast to wealth, fame, and power which define the modern-day triad of success.” Here are some other questions I want you to ask yourself: What is your commitment to yourself and to others close to you? Why are you focused on the things that are taking up your time? When will you begin to focus on goals that will allow you to create and leave a legacy? Whom do you trust to get you there? Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you. Motivation and Inspiration: What It Takes to Get Your Spark Back” During 2024 I went through a period where I wasn’t as motivated as I had been accustomed to being for many years. This gave me time to explore why I was feeling this way and to hopefully learn something that would help others. My inspiration to do all of the things I love in my business, including writing, creating, marketing, and mentoring was waning and I wasn’t sure why. Within a couple of months I was back on track and this is what I learned… Life isn’t easy, but then it isn’t supposed to be. Being challenged in so many ways on a regular basis makes us stronger and perhaps more appreciative and grateful for what we already have and what we know we can achieve if we believe in ourselves and have even one other person who knows we are special and tells us that as often as possible. Marie Forleo wrote a book titled “Everything Is Figureoutable” – https://ConnieLoves.me/FigureOutAble – Her precept is that if you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com and want to hear from you on this topic, or on anything else. “Merging Your Life with Your Business” as a strategy. We aren’t creating a business we need a vacation from. Instead, we’re creating a “lifestyle by design” where we have the time and financial freedom to live in a way that few people are able to, and with choices around everything we do. If you’ve met me in person, heard me on my podcast, or read any of my books, you know that I am a very positive person. No matter what situation or circumstances arises, I truly believe there will always be a positive outcome on the horizon, and sooner rather than later. But I wasn’t always this way. This is a journey that continues… My first year online was 2006, and very quickly I connected with people I’m still part of a Mastermind with in Austin, Texas. I was invited to speak at an event there a couple of years later. It was hosted by Joe Vitale and Mendhi Audlin was also there. She shared a concept she had come up with that she calls “What If… UP!” The premise is that there is truly a silver lining in everything negative that occurs. I liken this to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. My precept and general rule for life is that we can achieve anything we want and feel that we deserve. Others want to help us to achieve our goals, but many times we get in their way by telling ourselves stories that aren’t true. Mendhi’s precept aligns with mine, and a year or so after I first met her she published a book on this… “What If It All Goes Right?: Creating a New World of Peace, Prosperity & Possibility” by Mendhi Audlin reveals the secret to turning possibilities into a tangible reality. It works! https://ConnieLoves.me/WhatIfUp I’m discussing the importance of being willing to “Better Your Best” during this new year, as well as recommending that this be the year you finally embrace AI – Artificial Intelligence – for your business. I have been a student of and someone who uses AI almost daily since February of 2022, and I’m learning from experts Andy O”Bryan and Denise Wakeman in their ongoing AI Success Club. Asking “How Are You Defining Success?” Creating a business as an entrepreneur allows you to live a lifestyle by design, with both time freedom and financial freedom. Think about how you want to live each day and then take action to make it happen. Over the years I’ve changed many things, while others have remained the same. Instead of making changes just for the sake of change, think about what you could change up and what makes sense to remain at least mostly the same. Years ago, I used to put together my blog posts on a single topic, like copywriting or list building or creation digital products into a simple document that I referred to as a ‘Focus Guide’ and gave them away to my list and to my prospects. Each of these documents contained resources and an ‘About the Author’ page that helped me to build my credibility, visibility, and profitability. For the first time ever, I am recommending that you write a book about yourself, your niche topic, and how you serve others. I first did this in 2009 and now I have written and published twenty-eight full-length, non-fiction books on the topics of entrepreneurship, personal, development, and authorship. Life can be messy. Are their ways you can keep moving forward when your personal life is turning upside down? Yes! Finding joy in helping and serving others, as well as compartmentalizing what is currently going on in your life are just two of the ways to deal with change and situations outside of your control. I recommend that you choose two social media platforms to use for the sole purpose of helping your prospects find and connect with you online. My favorite is X – formerly known as Twitter, and I also use LinkedIn and YouTube as my favorite social media sites to grow my business. Please connect with me on these sites and let me know how I may best serve you as you build and grow your profitable business. Is your list of what you are willing to do longer than your list of what you don’t want to do? I recommend a mile-long “to-do” list and a daily schedule of no more than four things that you will work on each day in your business. Find a mentor who believes in you and get started with creating a lifestyle by design that you want and deserve. I’m recommending James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” – https://ConnieLoves.me/AtomicHabits – as a book to help you alleviate your fears. We all have hopes, dreams, goals, and fears regarding our life experiences. I have found that if we build up our confidence and have faith that everything will turn out in a way that will be beneficial to all, we can continue to move forward without negative effects. Having an online business requires confidence. These are some questions to ask yourself: Who will you serve? What are your prospects pain points? What’s your idea? How will it be created, and then delivered? How will you sell it online? Creating a simple product or online course is the beginning of living a lifestyle by design. Reach out to me any time at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to know more about getting started as an online entrepreneur. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My first online course back in 2006 was a simple one with three audio trainings and a workbook. Then, I began creating more sophisticated, but not more complicated courses. I’ve used the “Really Simple” branding for many courses at least 25 times, as well as using other terms and phrases based on the keywords I am optimizing for with each new course. Having your own online course on a topic you want to become known for will give you leverage to grow your business exponentially over time. It’s interesting to me that we as humans sometimes take things for granted that later on we know we should have appreciated in the moment. What I’m referring to here is having an online business you can run from home, or from anywhere in the world. There’s a window of opportunity that isn’t always open, and right now this window is wide open to everyone. A lot of it depends upon economic factors. I almost went back to graduate school two years ago to study economics, but decided against it because of the film and television writing I’m pursuing, but that’s a story for another time. Someone I work closely with had posted this quote from Richard Branson the other day: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” This does NOT apply to online business, but instead refers to starting a physical, brick and mortar business. I know several people in both of my cities who borrowed against their homes, cashed out retirement savings, and sold family heirlooms to start businesses in the community, only to go bankrupt a couple of years later. What I’m saying here is that this is the time to get your online business off the ground and up and running profitably. It’s so inexpensive in comparison, and the biggest expense I incur is what I pay mentors to guide me in the right direction. Yes, I still have a mentor and recommend you do as well. This isn’t coaching, but instead a personal relationship you’ll build over time that could lead to strategic alliance partnerships and lifelong friendships. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you want to know more about mentoring with me. The four widely accepted learning modalities (or modes) are known by the acronym VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic. They are sometimes inaccurately referred to as “learning styles” which implies that each learner has a “style” of learning that should be maximized in all learning situations. Focusing on consistency, productivity, and creativity makes sense for all online entrepreneurs in 2024. I’m also sharing some effective and time-proven strategies with you here that will make a difference in your business, as well as in your personal life experience. Each day I focus on writing, creating, marketing, and teaching/learning/mentoring. My writing began as short and simple blog posts and blossomed into more than twenty-five full-length books. My writing is my oeuvre, my body of work that is my legacy to family, friends, colleagues, and those who follow me. During 2023 I wrote and published more than 400 thousand words. This breaks down to one full-length book, Self-Directed: Inspire, Motivate, and Empower Yourself to the Greatness That Lies Within; the current book on marketing that is more than halfway written; 8 short reports on topics of interest to the people I work with online; one hundred thirty-eight blog posts on three different blogs I maintain; and 382 email messages to my online community. These are  practical strategies for effective time management, emphasizing the importance of creating a balance between work and personal life. Achieving work-life harmony requires effective time management strategies that allow you to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Here are some strategies to help you manage your time more efficiently: 1. Set Clear Priorities: Identify your most important tasks and priorities for both work and personal life. Focus on what truly matters and allocate time accordingly. 2. Use a Time Management System: Choose a time management system that works for you, whether it’s a digital tool like Todoist or Trello, or a physical planner. Organize tasks, set deadlines, and track your progress. Schedules vs To-Do Lists 3. Prioritize Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Prioritize tasks based on these categories. 4. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and tackle them during specific time blocks. This reduces the mental load of switching between different types of activities. 5. Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different activities. This includes work tasks, personal commitments, and breaks. Stick to the schedule as much as possible. 6. Learn to Say No: Be selective about taking on new commitments. Saying no when necessary helps you avoid over-committing and allows you to focus on your existing priorities. 7. Delegate When Possible: Delegate tasks that others can handle. This applies to both professional and personal responsibilities. It’s okay to ask for help. 8. Practice the Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming. 9. Limit Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce efficiency and increase stress. Complete one task before moving on to the next. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You’re starting a conversation with your emails, and building a relationship with your prospects, customers, and clients over time. I’ve been online as an entrepreneur, marketer, and writer since 2006, and while much has changed, I believe that more has remained the same. Here, I’m discussing how we marketed in those early days, and why email marketing still remains top of mind. Most recently, I’ve co-hosted an Advanced Email Marketing Conference with Ellen Finkelstein. In April of 2023, I hosted my latest live marketing event in Los Angeles, and more recently I’ve hosted my Santa Barbara Retreat for those I mentor and teach. But like everyone else, I began by attending live events, and eventually virtual events in order to find my voice, connect with other like-minded people, and learn more about building and growing my online business. Guerilla marketing is a way to drive publicity and, as a result, brand awareness by promoting using unconventional methods designed to evoke surprise, wonder, or shock. Guerrilla marketing is the creating use of novel or unconventional methods in order to boost sales or attract interest in a brand or business. These methods are often low- or no-cost and involve the widespread use of more personal interactions or through viral social media messaging. This marketing method has increased in popularity with the rise of ubiquitous mobile and connected technologies that can amplify messaging and focus on target groups of consumers. Some consumers may be more attracted by guerrilla marketing campaigns as they may be more interesting and daring, while others may be turned off because of the perceived “disruptive” aspects of this style of marketing. Please subscribe and leave me a review. And connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com. Find out more about me HERE. Becoming an online entrepreneur was the best decision I ever made. I’ve been online since 2006 and now help others all over the world to do the same or something similar. We all have times where we are feeling a little down, lost, or confused. Life isn’t easy, and no one makes it out alive! These are my recommendations for how to get back on track and feeling more happy and optimistic about your future… Write! Whether you’re already a writer or are just beginning to think about sharing your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others, writing makes sense. I write every single day and publish much of my writing as blog posts, short reports, and full-length books. Writing opens your mind to what you want in the future, by allowing you to explore the past through your memories. You can also retell and reframe your stories in a way that will serve you going forward. Start a new project! I usually create products and courses as new projects, but this can also manifest as something you build or create with your hands. I have family members on two continents that love to put together complex jigsaw puzzles. They look forward to these as a new project on a regular basis. Volunteer! Before I started my online business, I promised myself I would volunteer my time and donate money to charitable causes… as soon as I had the time and the money to do so. Once I had my own business, I realized that I had some time and a little money to do this all along. Spend time with new people! As a part of the volunteering I now do regularly, I’ve spent time with very young children, veterans, women starting over after being in a domestic violence situation, and more. This work continues to make a difference in my life. As you can see, there are many ways to get back to your “Why?” and I hope this has been helpful to you. What’s the best niche topic to cover in your blog? I know you don’t what to hear me say “It depends.” so I won’t. Lean in, and I’ll share the very best niche for you, and it’s one that is also the most profitable, will feel more like you’re just having fun, will never go out of style, and will be the one that has absolutely zero competition. Which niche topic and target audience could it possibly be? I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. I learned when I began online 17 years ago that the best niche for anyone is the one that makes your heart sing and is probably a topic you take for granted. I had been teaching school for twenty years and my students were mostly Spanish and Tagalog native speakers. I told them if they wrote just a few sentences every single day – weekends, holidays, and school breaks included – their writing would improve. Those who followed my advice excelled, while those who didn’t floundered. During all those years, I seldom wrote anything unless it was required for my work as a teacher or for my part-time work in real estate. Fast forward to 2006, and I realized not only that I needed to write in order to succeed online, but also that what I’d done with my students would apply here as well. My niche for the next eighteen months was around helping others to write, publish, market, and sell eBooks. I wrote one on real estate farming – choosing and area close to home to connect with people who may need your services – as an example and sold it on my website. Back then, you had to sell eBooks on your own websites, as Amazon had not yet entered the world of self-publishing. My niche and website became “eBook writing and marketing secrets” and this topic took me to six figures. I was learning right along with the people who were learning and buying from me. I then moved that site over to https://ConnieRagenGreen.com to make a name for myself and to branch out to other topics. The bottom line is that you must begin by sharing what you already know something about and love. Blogging is the direct path to the visibility, credibility, and profitability you wish to have in your business. In my business, every idea begins as a blog post. This is where I think and research and brainstorm what’s on my mind in the very beginning. The blog post is ground zero for what could, and many times does become a product, course or program. Blog posts, while based on your idea, can be created with original content, private label (PLR) rights content, guest content, or curated content. While I immediately share my published posts on social media as “micro content” you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours before syndicating your content on Medium. I also teach this syndication strategy in my popular and ongoing Syndication Optimization training program. Next up in your content creation and content marketing strategy is a short report, which you may sell online or give away as a lead magnet. I teach all of this in my Really Simple Short Reports training. This is what we refer to as “cornerstone” content that is extremely valuable. The final step is creating “authority content” by publishing your writing as a Kindle or paperback book to increase your visibility and build your reputation as an expert on your topic. I typically discuss time management and productivity in regards to entrepreneurs, marketers, and authors, and I’ve even co-authored a bestselling book on this topic, entitled “Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Manage Your Time to Increase Your Bottom Line” where we outline in great details the steps you may take to reach a level of optimal productivity and time management as an entrepreneur. But what about everyone else? Doesn’t every person deserve to live the lifestyle they want and deserve, where they enjoy financial freedom and the time to enjoy every moment to the fullest? Of course they do, and that’s what I’m sharing during this podcast. When I began online as a new entrepreneur in 2006, I realized immediately I would need help with technology and graphics, as these were the areas where I had no experience or talent. I bartered for these services for the first year or so, and then began to put together a team of people to support me so my business could grow. When I look back over my lifetime, I see that I have always had a team supporting me, whether it was while I worked as a classroom teacher, or in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. Even while I was growing up, I was surrounded by people who supported me, from family, friends and neighbors to teachers, clergy, and people in the community. Put together your team and watch your business grow exponentially! When it comes to your visibility as an entrepreneur, where may we find you to see what you’re doing? This expert status comes from your writing, videos and audios, and your social media presence on the most active platforms for your target audience. My three popular and active blogs are at ConnieRagenGreen.com, HugeProfitsTinyList.com, and at MondayMorningMellow.com. Credibility is about what you already know and what you are learning. We all started our online businesses as adults, so we brought our knowledge and experiences with us. It made sense for me to help people write, market, and publish eBooks in the beginning, because I had worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years prior to coming online, and was learning about marketing and self-publishing. Profitability means that you must ask “What’s for sale?” every day in your business. Create your own simple products and courses, recommend others with affiliate marketing, and look into buying the resale rights to sell other people’s products as your own like I continue to do in my own business. The final part of this information on your expert status as an entrepreneur includes productivity, consistency, and attention to detail. Get everything in place as quickly as possible, and your online business is sure to grow exponentially! During my first couple of years online, beginning in 2007 I connected with mentors Alex Mandossian and Raymond Aaron. When I inquired as to what they were doing together as strategic alliance partners, they gave me a brief explanation and told me that I was not yet ready to move up to this level. Over the next two years they helped me to grow and elevate my business and my mindset as an online entrepreneur so that I could connect with others in this way. Seek out the people and groups you wish to be involved with and show them that you have moved past tactics and on to strategies. It will make all the difference and as you uplevel everything you’re doing online in your business, your free time and disposable income will increase exponentially! When I work with people in my Incubator Mastermind Mentoring program, the goal is to move them into position to become a strategic alliance partner with me and others to share their message in a bigger way. WHY did you choose the career you started your working life with? WHY did you get married, have children, and move into your first home? WHY did you make the conscious decision to leave your career at some point and start your business? WHY do you want to be an author or entrepreneur, or coach? WHY do you get up every single day and do the work required to become more successful on an ongoing basis? Everyone must have a WHY and there are no right or wrong answers here. But if you find yourself unmotivated to work or if you find yourself procrastinating on projects, then it's time to re-examine the main reason for your business. Name Your Reason – or Your WHY – for Starting a Business Focusing on your WHY can help motivate you, so write down your reason for starting a business on a regular basis. Did you want to fill your free time? Did you want to earn some play money or contribute to the family finances? Did you want to pay the medical bills of an aging parent or a sick child? Did you want to pay for your child's higher education or private school tuition? In my case, my answer to “what's your why?” was always around having enough income to live life on my terms. Over time, I came to the realization that every choice I was making, and each time I could not do something that had meaning for me, was all related to me needing to earn a paycheck or a commission from the classroom teaching and real estate work I was involved with each day. I missed just about every family event, vacation, and other activities because I was working 60 or more hours a week in order to cover my bills and other expenses. I wasn't angry or resentful because I believed that I didn't deserve to have a better life during those decades. This all changed in 2005 when I began reading books and attending events based on self improvement and personal development principles. Writing these reasons down – no matter what they are because every person's WHY will be different – should help motivate you to work hard. You should feel driven to make your business a success. You should be willing to tackle things outside your comfort zone because you know the end result will help your business. If you're not feeling motivated, then you need to dig deeper. I worked closely with a woman who was struggling to make her online business become profitable, and she continued to tell me that she had no problems or struggles in her life, currently or during her younger years. Then, one day she told me about her granddaughter who had passed away at age twelve and the floodgates opened. We got to the bottom of things, she discovered her why, and her business grew by leaps and bounds, almost overnight! Be Open and Willing to Examine Your Inner Feelings Life is fluid and ever-changing so it stands to reason that your WHY would change over time as well. Even if you started your business because you didn't know what to do once your kids were in full day school, you can change that WHY to something more meaningful now. A mentor once shared with me that she started a service business because she was a single mom and needed to earn money to survive. She was responsible for lodging, food, and clothing for herself and her child. She didn't have anyone to rely on except herself. THIS is enough to make you cry and to hustle for work, knowing that if she wasn't working, she wasn't eating. What are you passionate about that will get you hustling? Are you passionate about a cause or charity that can benefit from your financial assistance? Do you need to pull yourself up out of financial despair? Don't be afraid to own that reason and fight for your business. This is how you will continue to get closer to understanding and recognizing the answer to “what's your why?” Don't be Afraid to Switch Business Gears to Discover Your “Why” One of my mentees admitted to me early on that even though she has been in a service business for over ten years, that she hadn't been motivated to create any classes or products as a source of passive income. She blamed her indecision on a lack of new ideas and a feeling and belief that everything she knew had already been said and done, but I questioned if it was because she didn't feel attached to her particular niche of online marketing. After some more discussion, she agreed and has since modified her services that align better with what she enjoys. I still suggested that she explore a deeper WHY but this is a step in the right direction. Plenty of businesses add or subtract products or services or modify their mission statement. If something about your business doesn't feel right, don't be afraid to make changes. I'm bestselling author and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green, and now I can confidently answer the question “What's your why?” with enthusiasm and conviction. My “why” is around the concept of helping others to achieve their goals and dreams with writing and having a profitable online business so they may follow their dreams and passions without having to do work that doesn't make their heart sing or worry about meeting all of their financial obligations with grace and ease. You can double your productivity and be success with a business, or with anything you choose to accomplish in your life, if you are willing to implement what you learn and take decisive action on a consistent basis. Many people come to me to learn how to successful and profitable as an online entrepreneur. But some of them end up saying “I already know that” and moving on to something else. I know that I am able to do more than I ever thought would be possible in my life because I am willing to learn, implement, course correct, ask questions, take massive action and keep moving forward with consistency. Others may be smarter or more knowledgeable, but if they hesitate to take action they will not achieve the results they are hoping for in their business or with anything else. As long as you are specific and intentional with what you want to achieve, you can do it all as an entrepreneur, just not all at once. And we must throw perfection out the window. I have a new saying… The more perfecter your goal, the less purfeckt your results. “Everything we do in our lives is preparing us for something that will arise in the future, even though we don’t yet know what that will be.” ~ Connie Ragen Green Our stories are the fabric of our life. A story sets you apart from everyone else, makes you unique and memorable, and is all you have when it's all said and done. When I was a young child a neighbor girl, seven or eight years old at the time, interrupted my mother in the middle of a story she was telling to ask, “Why do you have so many stories?” My mother hardly skipped a beat, informing the girl that “You'll have stories too, when you get older.” On that evening a part of me became a storyteller in training. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I was telling stories about everything from what I did in school that day to what happened in the neighborhood. I wore my storyteller's hat with pride and now I see that this one aspect of my life was preparing me for what I now do in my business and derive great joy from every single day. The word “praestabilis” is from the Latin and means outstanding, excellent, and extraordinary and this is the goal for you as you make your way in the online world. It took me until age 50 to step into the light and live an empowered life. I achieved this by leaving a job – classroom teaching – and a career as a real estate broker and appraiser to come online as an entrepreneur. I have no regrets about waiting so long, as everything unfolds once we are open to receiving it. There are three top strategies to help you move closer to an empowered life and they include… Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program. Recent posts on my three blogs are at: “Broken Compass Stories We Tell Ourselves” – https://mondaymorningmellow.com/broken-compass-story/ “The eBook That Changed My Life” – https://hugeprofitstinylist.com/ebook-that-changed-my-life/ “Marketing Secrets from Creative Sources” – https://connieragengreen.com/marketing-secrets-from-creative-sources/ Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics. Masterminding – Connecting with others for the sole purpose of reaching your full potential is crucial to life success. Find a Mastermind group to join, or start your own by inviting thought leaders to connect with you in this way. I have a group called the Incubator Mastermind that may be of interest to you. Hopefully, you can see that what I’m sharing with on each podcast will make a difference for you as you build and grow your business as an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. Make sure to think of marketing as a priority and get into the habit of sharing your best ideas and resources with the people who are on their way to becoming your raving fans! I’m always just an email away at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to connect with me. I promise to help you keep it simple while you grow your online business. Get started with your own eBook empire by learning how to write an eBook from the person who continues to guide me along this lucrative journey. Take a look at How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook…in as Little as 7 Days from expert and author Jim Edwards. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you as I share my beliefs, perceptions, and experiences as an author, online entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with you. Marketing has become the joy of my life as I continue to learn, grow, and share concepts with others. I'm bestselling author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability. The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 162 appeared first on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.

After a few months away — and a very welcome "petition of one" from Stacy in Florida — Rob and Helen are back.Rob has been building a public commonplace: twenty-five years of learning, typed onto index cards (possibly breaking his typewriter in the process) and slowly taking over his studio wall. Helen has been redistributing her notebook collection to a room of grateful authors, which may or may not count as cheating in the great notebook challenge. See original hoarding cast here and a revisit to the challenge of using notebooks here.Along the way: why old publishing offices were built around attention rather than productivity, a typewritten daily planning ritual that's quietly replaced Todoist, the strange magnetism of Midori paper, a beautiful Japanese storage haul, giving away index cards to parents and why the whole world seems to be drifting back to analogue.It's like old times. Which is rather the point of the cast. It's good to be back.If you'd like to see images, and more about the show - check out the companion newsletter to this episode. https://stationeryfreaks.substack.com/

“If we imagine fear as this tight fist that says, I’m not going to let go, I need to keep you safe, love comes in as just this warm hug, and it’s like, It’s all right, sweetheart, I’ve got you, you don’t have to hold this burden anymore. And the fear doesn’t want to do this…. It is doing it because it does not believe there is another path for you in order to survive or get your needs met.” – Cory Muscara Cory and Drew Cory Muscara Former monk and down-to-earth spiritual teacher Cory Muscara wraps up Season 12 with a powerful exploration of the lived human experience. Cory is not a graduate of the Hoffman Process, but he has recommended it to many and plans on attending in the near future. The ethos of his work blends beautifully with that of the Process. After a painful relationship breakup in his twenties, Cory began to meditate as a way to support himself. Realizing he wanted to go deeper into meditation, he headed to a monastery in Burma for a 6-month meditation retreat. Truly, it is hard to summarize this conversation. Like life, it must be experienced. You can feel the invitation to soften when in Cory’s presence as he articulates the process of internal healing and self-compassion. Later in the conversation, Drew mentions that a Process is completing just down the hill. He asks Cory what he might tell them. Cory offers a compassionate response to them and ultimately to all of us. He shares that leaving a retreat such as the Process and heading back into life offers us the opportunity to continue the work to heal, realizing that life is the meditation cushion. Life is where the ‘work’ continues. It is also where love can blossom with more ease and grace for ourselves and others. We hope you enjoy this wise and compassionate conversation with Cory and Drew. We’ll see you again in late August when we launch season 13. Thanks for listening and watching. We appreciate you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgf3BpOFloY Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify More about Cory Muscara: Cory Muscara is a former monk, host of the Practicing Human podcast, and bestselling author of the book Stop Missing Your Life. With over 1.5MM followers across his social media channels, Cory has gained popularity for his down-to-earth teachings on mindfulness, wellbeing, and mental health. Cory has taught mindful leadership at Columbia University, is an instructor in Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and, for the last decade, has offered mindfulness keynotes, workshops, and retreats around the world, helping people find peace and transformation in a chaotic world. Cory's meditations have been heard more than 50 million times in over 150 countries. His goal is to share wisdom teachings in a practical and accessible way. Discover more about Cory here and find resources here. Follow Cory on Instagram and LinkedIn. As mentioned in this episode: The monastery Cory resided at is Panditarama Hse Main Gon Forest Meditation Center in Burma. Cory’s teacher, Sayadaw U Pandita Sayadaw means “venerable teacher.” Vipassana Meditation. •   Vipassana means to “see things as they really are.”•   Vipassana meditation is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques. Walking meditation: •   Thich Nhat Hanh on How to Take a Mindful Walk Attunement Internal Family Systems (IFS) •   IFS Model, Parts, and Protective Patterns •   Richard Schwartz – Listen to Richard on the Hoffman Podcast: IFS & the Unburdening of Self The productivity tool Cory mentioned is ToDoist. C.A.R.E. – Connect. Appreciate. Reveal. Empathize. 19:44 (video), 18:47 (audio) Two levels of pain: Primary and Secondary pain 37:09 (video), 34:40 (audio) Cory’s episode is the first one we filmed at our new Hoffman Podcast Studio at Santa Sabina. We celebrated this inaugural episode with a crew photo. Drew Horning – Host, Cory Muscara – Guest, Julie Daley – Executive Producer, Mike Ingrasci – Director of Marketing, outside the new studio at Hoffman Retreat Center, Santa Sabina.

Per festeggiare i 150 episodi, stavolta al microfono non ci sono solo io: Nox, speaker artificiale di Runtime by Night, mi intervista per provare a raccontarti la vera anima di Pensieri in codice, tra idee da smontare, scelte editoriali, voce, dubbi e tutto quello che questo progetto ha insegnato anche a me. Pensieri in codice Entra a far parte della community Canale Telegram Gruppo Telegram Sostieni il progetto Sostieni tramite Satispay Sostieni tramite Revolut Sostieni tramite PayPal (applica commissioni) Sostieni utilizzando i link affiliati di Pensieri in codice: Amazon, Todoist, Readwise Reader, Satispay Sostenitori di oggi: Edoardo Secco, Carlo Tomas, Cristian De Grazi Partner Runtime Radio GrUSP — Codice sconto per tutti gli eventi: community_PIC Schrödinger Hat Fonti dell'episodio Runtime by Night Crediti Sound design - Alex Raccuglia Voce intro - Maria Chiara Virgili Voce intro - Spad Musiche - Kubbi - Up In My Jam, Light-foot - Moldy Lotion, Creativity, Old time memories Suoni - Zapsplat.com Cover e trascrizione - Francesco Zubani

I talk a lot about the wrong ways to use AI. But a rainy weekend gave me a few free hours and two pet projects that I used Claude Cowork for— and the results actually impressed me.The first: I used Claude to vibe-code a custom Obsidian theme from scratch. No CSS, no digging through the inspector — just a few prompts and some back-and-forth until it looked exactly the way I wanted.The second: a Claude skill that plans trips for me end-to-end — packing list, budget, Todoist project, calendar entries, the works. It's now maybe my favorite thing I've ever built in Claude.Does all of this sound interesting, but you're not sure where to start with your systems? Grab the free Solopreneur Systems Starter Kit — including the trip planning skill from this episode — at streamlined.fm/kitLinksHandcrafted Obsidian ThemeObsidian Theme ScreenshotTrip Template Screenshot (00:00) - Intro (01:28) - What AI is actually good at (and what it's not) (04:22) - Vibe-coding a custom Obsidian theme (11:00) - A Claude skill that plans trips end-to-end (17:42) - Wrap-up ————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

“In baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics, you get shortsighted; if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end.” That was Tom Seaver, an outstanding baseball player. And it points to an important factor in managing your time and being productive.  And it's a single word: Consistency.  Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin   The COD Productivity Method  Learn more about the Quiet Productivity Method here   Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page   Script | 420 Hello, and welcome to episode 420 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  There seems to be a consistency crisis. If you were to analyse anyone who has been successful at anything, you would find that, hidden behind that success, lies a high degree of consistency in following the basics.  Last week, I talked about your standards. Setting your standards and staying true to them. Well, a close relation to your standards is consistency.  Yet, consistency is hard. It's boring, and your brain is often your worst enemy. It tells you that you're tired; you can take a rest. Or you can skip today. You've been busy; it's okay.  But it's not okay. Not if you want to develop your consistency. So how can you stay consistent, even on your worst days? That's what we're looking at today.  So, to get us started, let me hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question. This week's question comes from Stephan. Stephan asks, “Hi Carl, I've been following the COD system for almost a year now, and I know it works. Most days I do well. I collect, and I organise. But I am not consistent. What can I do to get consistent organising and planning my days? Hi Stephan, thank you for your question.  Now, before we begin, I am not going to advocate that you turn yourself into a non-communicative monk. There does need to be some flexibility. Yet to succeed at anything, you will find that, somewhere in the mix, something needs to be done consistently.  Something in the quote I began this podcast with from Tom Seaver jumped out at me. The line was: “If you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end.” I know from experience and from feedback from those who have taken my Email Mastery course that if you consistently spend 30 minutes or more on your actionable emails, your email will never get out of control.  The numbers take care of themselves.  This means when you plan your day, you ask yourself where you will find time for communications.  Managing your communications is not about the number of messages you get. We all get too many. There are messages that need answering, messages for information we should read, and a lot of messages we can ignore and delete.  But, when you begin the day, you have no idea how many you will get and of what type they will be. This means you cannot plan for the number or type of message that needs to be replied to. Numbers don't count. Yet, if you know each day that you will spend at least 30 minutes on them, it's unlikely you will ever have an out-of-control inbox.  Some days you will clear them; other days, you won't. But as long as you're consistent, the numbers will stay low.  Your consistency will take care of the numbers.  When it comes to COD, that's the collect, organise and do framework. The only area that needs deliberate consistency is the organising.  You see, once you have established your UCT (Universal Collection Tool), you will naturally collect everything that needs to be collected. And if you have that set up properly, what you collect will drop into your trusted inbox.  However, the key is organising what you collected and that involves asking three questions: What is it? A note, an appointment or a task What do I need to do with it? Move it to your calendar, add it to your notes or process the task so that you can ask… When will I do it? That would be either this week, next week, this month, next month or sometime in the long-term.  If you consistently do the organising step, you will become very fast at organising.  When I began following COD, I confess it would take me 20 to 30 minutes on some days. That was because I collected a lot, and asking and answering the three questions was slow.  But I stuck to it. I went through the exciting first stage, then the boring middle (where you ask yourself if it's worth it) and finally to the stage where it was automatic.  And the benefit was that, as I was pushing through the boring middle, my brain was establishing patterns that sped up the organising stage.  Now, I can clear an inbox of fifteen to twenty items in less than 5 minutes. Something that used to take at least 15 minutes.  But there are other factors here.  The biggest factor, aside from consistency, is that I don't change my tools. I've been using Todoist for 15 years, Evernote for 17 and Apple Calendar for 25. I know these tools inside out. I've set up keyboard shortcuts, and they are now part of my muscle memory.  When any of these tools update and add features, I will look at the new features and ask myself whether each will improve my workflow and make things faster. If not, I don't use the new feature.  Evernote, for example, has recently added an AI-enabled feature that automatically assigns a title to a note. Nice. But it takes me less than ten seconds to add a title, and I know from the mistakes I've made in the past that if I don't add a title that means something to me, I'll not be able to find the note as quickly as I would like in the future.  So, I don't use that feature.  So, how do you become more consistent? There are two things that will help.  The first is to start small.  Doing a huge overhaul of your system and adding multiple steps to keep it organised will ultimately fail. You're asking too much of yourself.  Instead, pick one area.  For example, when you've run COD for a while, you will realise that your notes rarely contain anything urgent. The urgent area will be what you throw into your task manager.  This means you can start by committing to yourself to always process your task manager's inbox at the end of your workday, and to leave your notes, perhaps organising and cleaning up, once a week.  When you make this commitment, don't just imagine you will be able to do this from your laptop while sitting at your desk. Consider how you will do it if all you have is your mobile phone.  While I like to do my organising on my laptop at my desk, there are days when I am travelling and cannot.  However, checking my task manager's inbox each day is a must, so I will do that on my phone.  I've done this from airport lounges, buses, my parents' living room and once from a motorway service station.  Another area where consistency is incredibly helpful is doing the daily planning.  Daily planning involves three steps.  The first is to check your calendar to see where your appointments are tomorrow and where you need to be in the morning. (20 seconds max?) The second is to curate your to-do list so that your tasks for tomorrow are realistic. (Around two to three minutes)  And finally, to decide what your two must-do tasks are for the day. (Another 2 to 3 minutes)  When you are consistent with this, it will take you no more than 5 minutes. And best of all, if you are pushed, you could do this from your mobile phone.  One of the benefits of consistency is that you no longer need to look at how much you have to do.  Because you are consistently planning, clearing your communications, and protecting time for your most important work, all you need to do is ensure you are prioritising the right things each day, and the number of things to do will take care of itself.  I recently saw a documentary on Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese football player (soccer player for my friends across the pond).  Ronaldo is 41 years old and is playing in a record sixth World Cup this summer.  How has he remained at the top of the sport for so long? Can you guess? Consistency.  Interviews with former teammates talk of a person who turns up for training an hour before anyone else. Who stays and practices his shooting long after his teammates have finished and a person who prioritises sleep and diet. Ronaldo was doing that long before other professional footballers were.  When asked about it, Ronaldo says he learnt early in his career that consistently paying attention to what matters was the key to getting to the top.  Being consistently on time for meetings, handing in work on time and doing what you say you will do when you say you will do it are just examples of good manners and professionalism. Not doing so damages your chances of promotion.  But I again go back to what I said earlier: don't try to change everything at once. Pick something you want to improve and start there.  It takes time and effort to build consistency. If you have to remind yourself to do something, you're not ready to move to the next one.  Doing my focused work in the morning and allowing 45 minutes each day for my communications didn't happen overnight. It was a stuttering start. Yet, eventually, it just happened. I no longer needed to think about it.  It's the same with doing my daily planning each evening. Today, I cannot imagine not going to bed without knowing where my appointments are tomorrow and what my must-do tasks are.  That's how you build consistency. One step at a time. Now you mentioned the COD system, Stephan, and on that subject I do have some news. I've just cleaned everything up and added a new quick start guide to the resources section.  If you're already enrolled, head over to the course on your dashboard, and you will see the guide at the bottom.  If you're not enrolled and want to learn more about COD, you can do so for free by taking the COD course. I will leave a link for it in the show notes for you.  Thank you, Stephan, for your question, and thank you to you, too, for listening. It just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

Have you ever gone to the grocery store without a list? You walk down every aisle, grab whatever looks good, spend way more than you planned — and somehow still get home without the one thing you actually needed.Running a one-person business without a real task capture system feels exactly the same.When everything falls on you, important work slips through the cracks. And without a plan, it's easy to spend your day on something that feels productive instead of something that actually moves the business. (Anyone who's let AI build them a thing they didn't need knows what I mean.)In this one, I'm walking through the three ways I capture tasks now — each one a little more automated than the last:Quick capture — making it stupid easy to get something out of your headSpeech-to-text to sort — why Todoist's Ramble feature replaced an entire Zapier flow for meAutomating task capture with AI agents — pulling tasks out of emails, call summaries, and notes without lifting a fingerIf you've ever said, "If it's important, I'll remember it" — I have bad news. Solopreneur productivity isn't about a better memory. It's about better solopreneur systems for capturing everything so you can actually plan your week.If you want help getting your tasks in order, I put together a free resource over at https://streamlined.fm/tasks.Show NotesFree Task Capture ResourceTodoist RambleWhisper Memos (00:00) - Intro (01:38) - Why "I'll remember it" fails solopreneurs (02:54) - Make quick capture as easy as possible (04:29) - Speech-to-text to sort (Todoist Ramble) (07:12) - Automate task capture with AI agents (10:33) - Why capturing everything matters (11:58) - Free resource and wrap-up ————Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health. Start with the free Solopreneur Sweep — a step-by-step method for finding where your business is losing time: https://streamlined.fm/sweepIf this episode helped you, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps other solopreneurs find the show — it only takes a minute and means a lot.Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasabona/

Welcome to Episode 160 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing Welcome to Episode #161 of “Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing” In this episode, I’m talking about “What’s Working Today in the Online Space. I’ll share the three most profitable business models for new and seasoned online entrepreneurs, and also a short training I’ve created around the topic of affiliate marketing. I am sharing a live session of my “Really Simple Authority Blogging” ongoing training course with you and know you will benefit from the marketing strategies I am sharing and teaching here. Be sure to connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com or on X at https://x.com/ConnieGreen so I may serve you in the areas where my help could make a huge difference in your results. I’m going to share with you how much fun I’m having with creating simple courses using AI (Artificial Intelligence) in about 30 minutes. I know you can do the same thing. Keep it simple, and add the short course you create to a page on your existing website/blog. In this episode I’m discussing how to use keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow your business. Your prospects and future clients, customers, and colleagues are waiting to connect with you, but if they can’t find you online it will never happen. Make it simple for your target audience to find you by using the keywords and phrases they are most likely to be searching for on Google, Bing, and the other search engines. The Power and Gift of Change”- We are all changing throughout each day, and I think we must embrace this change in order to grow and move forward. Changing can take many forms, and if you look back through your life you will come to understand that you are not the same person you were even a year ago. Here is a quote about this you may resonate with… “Growth lives outside the comfort zone. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably doing it right.” ~ Marie Forleo I believe that our businesses are based on the concept of serving others. When you start on online (or even a brick and mortar) business, your goal is to serve others with what you know and to benefit in multiple ways, including by earning an excellent income. I’m sharing several examples in this podcast about my own and experiences with clients over the years. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This morning I was reading the message written by outgoing Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In it, he stated that his “parting prescription” for the American people is to cultivate a strong sense of community to help themselves and others. He added, “Relationships, service, and purpose are the time-tested triad of fulfillment that stands in contrast to wealth, fame, and power which define the modern-day triad of success.” Here are some other questions I want you to ask yourself: What is your commitment to yourself and to others close to you? Why are you focused on the things that are taking up your time? When will you begin to focus on goals that will allow you to create and leave a legacy? Whom do you trust to get you there? Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you. Motivation and Inspiration: What It Takes to Get Your Spark Back” During 2024 I went through a period where I wasn’t as motivated as I had been accustomed to being for many years. This gave me time to explore why I was feeling this way and to hopefully learn something that would help others. My inspiration to do all of the things I love in my business, including writing, creating, marketing, and mentoring was waning and I wasn’t sure why. Within a couple of months I was back on track and this is what I learned… Life isn’t easy, but then it isn’t supposed to be. Being challenged in so many ways on a regular basis makes us stronger and perhaps more appreciative and grateful for what we already have and what we know we can achieve if we believe in ourselves and have even one other person who knows we are special and tells us that as often as possible. Marie Forleo wrote a book titled “Everything Is Figureoutable” – https://ConnieLoves.me/FigureOutAble – Her precept is that if you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com and want to hear from you on this topic, or on anything else. “Merging Your Life with Your Business” as a strategy. We aren’t creating a business we need a vacation from. Instead, we’re creating a “lifestyle by design” where we have the time and financial freedom to live in a way that few people are able to, and with choices around everything we do. If you’ve met me in person, heard me on my podcast, or read any of my books, you know that I am a very positive person. No matter what situation or circumstances arises, I truly believe there will always be a positive outcome on the horizon, and sooner rather than later. But I wasn’t always this way. This is a journey that continues… My first year online was 2006, and very quickly I connected with people I’m still part of a Mastermind with in Austin, Texas. I was invited to speak at an event there a couple of years later. It was hosted by Joe Vitale and Mendhi Audlin was also there. She shared a concept she had come up with that she calls “What If… UP!” The premise is that there is truly a silver lining in everything negative that occurs. I liken this to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. My precept and general rule for life is that we can achieve anything we want and feel that we deserve. Others want to help us to achieve our goals, but many times we get in their way by telling ourselves stories that aren’t true. Mendhi’s precept aligns with mine, and a year or so after I first met her she published a book on this… “What If It All Goes Right?: Creating a New World of Peace, Prosperity & Possibility” by Mendhi Audlin reveals the secret to turning possibilities into a tangible reality. It works! https://ConnieLoves.me/WhatIfUp I’m discussing the importance of being willing to “Better Your Best” during this new year, as well as recommending that this be the year you finally embrace AI – Artificial Intelligence – for your business. I have been a student of and someone who uses AI almost daily since February of 2022, and I’m learning from experts Andy O”Bryan and Denise Wakeman in their ongoing AI Success Club. Asking “How Are You Defining Success?” Creating a business as an entrepreneur allows you to live a lifestyle by design, with both time freedom and financial freedom. Think about how you want to live each day and then take action to make it happen. Over the years I’ve changed many things, while others have remained the same. Instead of making changes just for the sake of change, think about what you could change up and what makes sense to remain at least mostly the same. Years ago, I used to put together my blog posts on a single topic, like copywriting or list building or creation digital products into a simple document that I referred to as a ‘Focus Guide’ and gave them away to my list and to my prospects. Each of these documents contained resources and an ‘About the Author’ page that helped me to build my credibility, visibility, and profitability. For the first time ever, I am recommending that you write a book about yourself, your niche topic, and how you serve others. I first did this in 2009 and now I have written and published twenty-eight full-length, non-fiction books on the topics of entrepreneurship, personal, development, and authorship. Life can be messy. Are their ways you can keep moving forward when your personal life is turning upside down? Yes! Finding joy in helping and serving others, as well as compartmentalizing what is currently going on in your life are just two of the ways to deal with change and situations outside of your control. I recommend that you choose two social media platforms to use for the sole purpose of helping your prospects find and connect with you online. My favorite is X – formerly known as Twitter, and I also use LinkedIn and YouTube as my favorite social media sites to grow my business. Please connect with me on these sites and let me know how I may best serve you as you build and grow your profitable business. Is your list of what you are willing to do longer than your list of what you don’t want to do? I recommend a mile-long “to-do” list and a daily schedule of no more than four things that you will work on each day in your business. Find a mentor who believes in you and get started with creating a lifestyle by design that you want and deserve. I’m recommending James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” – https://ConnieLoves.me/AtomicHabits – as a book to help you alleviate your fears. We all have hopes, dreams, goals, and fears regarding our life experiences. I have found that if we build up our confidence and have faith that everything will turn out in a way that will be beneficial to all, we can continue to move forward without negative effects. Having an online business requires confidence. These are some questions to ask yourself: Who will you serve? What are your prospects pain points? What’s your idea? How will it be created, and then delivered? How will you sell it online? Creating a simple product or online course is the beginning of living a lifestyle by design. Reach out to me any time at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to know more about getting started as an online entrepreneur. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My first online course back in 2006 was a simple one with three audio trainings and a workbook. Then, I began creating more sophisticated, but not more complicated courses. I’ve used the “Really Simple” branding for many courses at least 25 times, as well as using other terms and phrases based on the keywords I am optimizing for with each new course. Having your own online course on a topic you want to become known for will give you leverage to grow your business exponentially over time. It’s interesting to me that we as humans sometimes take things for granted that later on we know we should have appreciated in the moment. What I’m referring to here is having an online business you can run from home, or from anywhere in the world. There’s a window of opportunity that isn’t always open, and right now this window is wide open to everyone. A lot of it depends upon economic factors. I almost went back to graduate school two years ago to study economics, but decided against it because of the film and television writing I’m pursuing, but that’s a story for another time. Someone I work closely with had posted this quote from Richard Branson the other day: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” This does NOT apply to online business, but instead refers to starting a physical, brick and mortar business. I know several people in both of my cities who borrowed against their homes, cashed out retirement savings, and sold family heirlooms to start businesses in the community, only to go bankrupt a couple of years later. What I’m saying here is that this is the time to get your online business off the ground and up and running profitably. It’s so inexpensive in comparison, and the biggest expense I incur is what I pay mentors to guide me in the right direction. Yes, I still have a mentor and recommend you do as well. This isn’t coaching, but instead a personal relationship you’ll build over time that could lead to strategic alliance partnerships and lifelong friendships. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you want to know more about mentoring with me. The four widely accepted learning modalities (or modes) are known by the acronym VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic. They are sometimes inaccurately referred to as “learning styles” which implies that each learner has a “style” of learning that should be maximized in all learning situations. Focusing on consistency, productivity, and creativity makes sense for all online entrepreneurs in 2024. I’m also sharing some effective and time-proven strategies with you here that will make a difference in your business, as well as in your personal life experience. Each day I focus on writing, creating, marketing, and teaching/learning/mentoring. My writing began as short and simple blog posts and blossomed into more than twenty-five full-length books. My writing is my oeuvre, my body of work that is my legacy to family, friends, colleagues, and those who follow me. During 2023 I wrote and published more than 400 thousand words. This breaks down to one full-length book, Self-Directed: Inspire, Motivate, and Empower Yourself to the Greatness That Lies Within; the current book on marketing that is more than halfway written; 8 short reports on topics of interest to the people I work with online; one hundred thirty-eight blog posts on three different blogs I maintain; and 382 email messages to my online community. These are  practical strategies for effective time management, emphasizing the importance of creating a balance between work and personal life. Achieving work-life harmony requires effective time management strategies that allow you to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Here are some strategies to help you manage your time more efficiently: 1. Set Clear Priorities: Identify your most important tasks and priorities for both work and personal life. Focus on what truly matters and allocate time accordingly. 2. Use a Time Management System: Choose a time management system that works for you, whether it’s a digital tool like Todoist or Trello, or a physical planner. Organize tasks, set deadlines, and track your progress. Schedules vs To-Do Lists 3. Prioritize Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Prioritize tasks based on these categories. 4. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and tackle them during specific time blocks. This reduces the mental load of switching between different types of activities. 5. Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different activities. This includes work tasks, personal commitments, and breaks. Stick to the schedule as much as possible. 6. Learn to Say No: Be selective about taking on new commitments. Saying no when necessary helps you avoid over-committing and allows you to focus on your existing priorities. 7. Delegate When Possible: Delegate tasks that others can handle. This applies to both professional and personal responsibilities. It’s okay to ask for help. 8. Practice the Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming. 9. Limit Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce efficiency and increase stress. Complete one task before moving on to the next. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You’re starting a conversation with your emails, and building a relationship with your prospects, customers, and clients over time. I’ve been online as an entrepreneur, marketer, and writer since 2006, and while much has changed, I believe that more has remained the same. Here, I’m discussing how we marketed in those early days, and why email marketing still remains top of mind. Most recently, I’ve co-hosted an Advanced Email Marketing Conference with Ellen Finkelstein. In April of 2023, I hosted my latest live marketing event in Los Angeles, and more recently I’ve hosted my Santa Barbara Retreat for those I mentor and teach. But like everyone else, I began by attending live events, and eventually virtual events in order to find my voice, connect with other like-minded people, and learn more about building and growing my online business. Guerilla marketing is a way to drive publicity and, as a result, brand awareness by promoting using unconventional methods designed to evoke surprise, wonder, or shock. Guerrilla marketing is the creating use of novel or unconventional methods in order to boost sales or attract interest in a brand or business. These methods are often low- or no-cost and involve the widespread use of more personal interactions or through viral social media messaging. This marketing method has increased in popularity with the rise of ubiquitous mobile and connected technologies that can amplify messaging and focus on target groups of consumers. Some consumers may be more attracted by guerrilla marketing campaigns as they may be more interesting and daring, while others may be turned off because of the perceived “disruptive” aspects of this style of marketing. Please subscribe and leave me a review. And connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com. Find out more about me HERE. Becoming an online entrepreneur was the best decision I ever made. I’ve been online since 2006 and now help others all over the world to do the same or something similar. We all have times where we are feeling a little down, lost, or confused. Life isn’t easy, and no one makes it out alive! These are my recommendations for how to get back on track and feeling more happy and optimistic about your future… Write! Whether you’re already a writer or are just beginning to think about sharing your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others, writing makes sense. I write every single day and publish much of my writing as blog posts, short reports, and full-length books. Writing opens your mind to what you want in the future, by allowing you to explore the past through your memories. You can also retell and reframe your stories in a way that will serve you going forward. Start a new project! I usually create products and courses as new projects, but this can also manifest as something you build or create with your hands. I have family members on two continents that love to put together complex jigsaw puzzles. They look forward to these as a new project on a regular basis. Volunteer! Before I started my online business, I promised myself I would volunteer my time and donate money to charitable causes… as soon as I had the time and the money to do so. Once I had my own business, I realized that I had some time and a little money to do this all along. Spend time with new people! As a part of the volunteering I now do regularly, I’ve spent time with very young children, veterans, women starting over after being in a domestic violence situation, and more. This work continues to make a difference in my life. As you can see, there are many ways to get back to your “Why?” and I hope this has been helpful to you. What’s the best niche topic to cover in your blog? I know you don’t what to hear me say “It depends.” so I won’t. Lean in, and I’ll share the very best niche for you, and it’s one that is also the most profitable, will feel more like you’re just having fun, will never go out of style, and will be the one that has absolutely zero competition. Which niche topic and target audience could it possibly be? I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. I learned when I began online 17 years ago that the best niche for anyone is the one that makes your heart sing and is probably a topic you take for granted. I had been teaching school for twenty years and my students were mostly Spanish and Tagalog native speakers. I told them if they wrote just a few sentences every single day – weekends, holidays, and school breaks included – their writing would improve. Those who followed my advice excelled, while those who didn’t floundered. During all those years, I seldom wrote anything unless it was required for my work as a teacher or for my part-time work in real estate. Fast forward to 2006, and I realized not only that I needed to write in order to succeed online, but also that what I’d done with my students would apply here as well. My niche for the next eighteen months was around helping others to write, publish, market, and sell eBooks. I wrote one on real estate farming – choosing and area close to home to connect with people who may need your services – as an example and sold it on my website. Back then, you had to sell eBooks on your own websites, as Amazon had not yet entered the world of self-publishing. My niche and website became “eBook writing and marketing secrets” and this topic took me to six figures. I was learning right along with the people who were learning and buying from me. I then moved that site over to https://ConnieRagenGreen.com to make a name for myself and to branch out to other topics. The bottom line is that you must begin by sharing what you already know something about and love. Blogging is the direct path to the visibility, credibility, and profitability you wish to have in your business. In my business, every idea begins as a blog post. This is where I think and research and brainstorm what’s on my mind in the very beginning. The blog post is ground zero for what could, and many times does become a product, course or program. Blog posts, while based on your idea, can be created with original content, private label (PLR) rights content, guest content, or curated content. While I immediately share my published posts on social media as “micro content” you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours before syndicating your content on Medium. I also teach this syndication strategy in my popular and ongoing Syndication Optimization training program. Next up in your content creation and content marketing strategy is a short report, which you may sell online or give away as a lead magnet. I teach all of this in my Really Simple Short Reports training. This is what we refer to as “cornerstone” content that is extremely valuable. The final step is creating “authority content” by publishing your writing as a Kindle or paperback book to increase your visibility and build your reputation as an expert on your topic. I typically discuss time management and productivity in regards to entrepreneurs, marketers, and authors, and I’ve even co-authored a bestselling book on this topic, entitled “Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Manage Your Time to Increase Your Bottom Line” where we outline in great details the steps you may take to reach a level of optimal productivity and time management as an entrepreneur. But what about everyone else? Doesn’t every person deserve to live the lifestyle they want and deserve, where they enjoy financial freedom and the time to enjoy every moment to the fullest? Of course they do, and that’s what I’m sharing during this podcast. When I began online as a new entrepreneur in 2006, I realized immediately I would need help with technology and graphics, as these were the areas where I had no experience or talent. I bartered for these services for the first year or so, and then began to put together a team of people to support me so my business could grow. When I look back over my lifetime, I see that I have always had a team supporting me, whether it was while I worked as a classroom teacher, or in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. Even while I was growing up, I was surrounded by people who supported me, from family, friends and neighbors to teachers, clergy, and people in the community. Put together your team and watch your business grow exponentially! When it comes to your visibility as an entrepreneur, where may we find you to see what you’re doing? This expert status comes from your writing, videos and audios, and your social media presence on the most active platforms for your target audience. My three popular and active blogs are at ConnieRagenGreen.com, HugeProfitsTinyList.com, and at MondayMorningMellow.com. Credibility is about what you already know and what you are learning. We all started our online businesses as adults, so we brought our knowledge and experiences with us. It made sense for me to help people write, market, and publish eBooks in the beginning, because I had worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years prior to coming online, and was learning about marketing and self-publishing. Profitability means that you must ask “What’s for sale?” every day in your business. Create your own simple products and courses, recommend others with affiliate marketing, and look into buying the resale rights to sell other people’s products as your own like I continue to do in my own business. The final part of this information on your expert status as an entrepreneur includes productivity, consistency, and attention to detail. Get everything in place as quickly as possible, and your online business is sure to grow exponentially! During my first couple of years online, beginning in 2007 I connected with mentors Alex Mandossian and Raymond Aaron. When I inquired as to what they were doing together as strategic alliance partners, they gave me a brief explanation and told me that I was not yet ready to move up to this level. Over the next two years they helped me to grow and elevate my business and my mindset as an online entrepreneur so that I could connect with others in this way. Seek out the people and groups you wish to be involved with and show them that you have moved past tactics and on to strategies. It will make all the difference and as you uplevel everything you’re doing online in your business, your free time and disposable income will increase exponentially! When I work with people in my Incubator Mastermind Mentoring program, the goal is to move them into position to become a strategic alliance partner with me and others to share their message in a bigger way. WHY did you choose the career you started your working life with? WHY did you get married, have children, and move into your first home? WHY did you make the conscious decision to leave your career at some point and start your business? WHY do you want to be an author or entrepreneur, or coach? WHY do you get up every single day and do the work required to become more successful on an ongoing basis? Everyone must have a WHY and there are no right or wrong answers here. But if you find yourself unmotivated to work or if you find yourself procrastinating on projects, then it's time to re-examine the main reason for your business. Name Your Reason – or Your WHY – for Starting a Business Focusing on your WHY can help motivate you, so write down your reason for starting a business on a regular basis. Did you want to fill your free time? Did you want to earn some play money or contribute to the family finances? Did you want to pay the medical bills of an aging parent or a sick child? Did you want to pay for your child's higher education or private school tuition? In my case, my answer to “what's your why?” was always around having enough income to live life on my terms. Over time, I came to the realization that every choice I was making, and each time I could not do something that had meaning for me, was all related to me needing to earn a paycheck or a commission from the classroom teaching and real estate work I was involved with each day. I missed just about every family event, vacation, and other activities because I was working 60 or more hours a week in order to cover my bills and other expenses. I wasn't angry or resentful because I believed that I didn't deserve to have a better life during those decades. This all changed in 2005 when I began reading books and attending events based on self improvement and personal development principles. Writing these reasons down – no matter what they are because every person's WHY will be different – should help motivate you to work hard. You should feel driven to make your business a success. You should be willing to tackle things outside your comfort zone because you know the end result will help your business. If you're not feeling motivated, then you need to dig deeper. I worked closely with a woman who was struggling to make her online business become profitable, and she continued to tell me that she had no problems or struggles in her life, currently or during her younger years. Then, one day she told me about her granddaughter who had passed away at age twelve and the floodgates opened. We got to the bottom of things, she discovered her why, and her business grew by leaps and bounds, almost overnight! Be Open and Willing to Examine Your Inner Feelings Life is fluid and ever-changing so it stands to reason that your WHY would change over time as well. Even if you started your business because you didn't know what to do once your kids were in full day school, you can change that WHY to something more meaningful now. A mentor once shared with me that she started a service business because she was a single mom and needed to earn money to survive. She was responsible for lodging, food, and clothing for herself and her child. She didn't have anyone to rely on except herself. THIS is enough to make you cry and to hustle for work, knowing that if she wasn't working, she wasn't eating. What are you passionate about that will get you hustling? Are you passionate about a cause or charity that can benefit from your financial assistance? Do you need to pull yourself up out of financial despair? Don't be afraid to own that reason and fight for your business. This is how you will continue to get closer to understanding and recognizing the answer to “what's your why?” Don't be Afraid to Switch Business Gears to Discover Your “Why” One of my mentees admitted to me early on that even though she has been in a service business for over ten years, that she hadn't been motivated to create any classes or products as a source of passive income. She blamed her indecision on a lack of new ideas and a feeling and belief that everything she knew had already been said and done, but I questioned if it was because she didn't feel attached to her particular niche of online marketing. After some more discussion, she agreed and has since modified her services that align better with what she enjoys. I still suggested that she explore a deeper WHY but this is a step in the right direction. Plenty of businesses add or subtract products or services or modify their mission statement. If something about your business doesn't feel right, don't be afraid to make changes. I'm bestselling author and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green, and now I can confidently answer the question “What's your why?” with enthusiasm and conviction. My “why” is around the concept of helping others to achieve their goals and dreams with writing and having a profitable online business so they may follow their dreams and passions without having to do work that doesn't make their heart sing or worry about meeting all of their financial obligations with grace and ease. You can double your productivity and be success with a business, or with anything you choose to accomplish in your life, if you are willing to implement what you learn and take decisive action on a consistent basis. Many people come to me to learn how to successful and profitable as an online entrepreneur. But some of them end up saying “I already know that” and moving on to something else. I know that I am able to do more than I ever thought would be possible in my life because I am willing to learn, implement, course correct, ask questions, take massive action and keep moving forward with consistency. Others may be smarter or more knowledgeable, but if they hesitate to take action they will not achieve the results they are hoping for in their business or with anything else. As long as you are specific and intentional with what you want to achieve, you can do it all as an entrepreneur, just not all at once. And we must throw perfection out the window. I have a new saying… The more perfecter your goal, the less purfeckt your results. “Everything we do in our lives is preparing us for something that will arise in the future, even though we don’t yet know what that will be.” ~ Connie Ragen Green Our stories are the fabric of our life. A story sets you apart from everyone else, makes you unique and memorable, and is all you have when it's all said and done. When I was a young child a neighbor girl, seven or eight years old at the time, interrupted my mother in the middle of a story she was telling to ask, “Why do you have so many stories?” My mother hardly skipped a beat, informing the girl that “You'll have stories too, when you get older.” On that evening a part of me became a storyteller in training. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I was telling stories about everything from what I did in school that day to what happened in the neighborhood. I wore my storyteller's hat with pride and now I see that this one aspect of my life was preparing me for what I now do in my business and derive great joy from every single day. The word “praestabilis” is from the Latin and means outstanding, excellent, and extraordinary and this is the goal for you as you make your way in the online world. It took me until age 50 to step into the light and live an empowered life. I achieved this by leaving a job – classroom teaching – and a career as a real estate broker and appraiser to come online as an entrepreneur. I have no regrets about waiting so long, as everything unfolds once we are open to receiving it. There are three top strategies to help you move closer to an empowered life and they include… Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program. Recent posts on my three blogs are at: “Broken Compass Stories We Tell Ourselves” – https://mondaymorningmellow.com/broken-compass-story/ “The eBook That Changed My Life” – https://hugeprofitstinylist.com/ebook-that-changed-my-life/ “Marketing Secrets from Creative Sources” – https://connieragengreen.com/marketing-secrets-from-creative-sources/ Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics. Masterminding – Connecting with others for the sole purpose of reaching your full potential is crucial to life success. Find a Mastermind group to join, or start your own by inviting thought leaders to connect with you in this way. I have a group called the Incubator Mastermind that may be of interest to you. Hopefully, you can see that what I’m sharing with on each podcast will make a difference for you as you build and grow your business as an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. Make sure to think of marketing as a priority and get into the habit of sharing your best ideas and resources with the people who are on their way to becoming your raving fans! I’m always just an email away at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to connect with me. I promise to help you keep it simple while you grow your online business. Get started with your own eBook empire by learning how to write an eBook from the person who continues to guide me along this lucrative journey. Take a look at How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook…in as Little as 7 Days from expert and author Jim Edwards. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you as I share my beliefs, perceptions, and experiences as an author, online entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with you. Marketing has become the joy of my life as I continue to learn, grow, and share concepts with others. I'm bestselling author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 161 first appeared on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 161 appeared first on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.

Jess Pomfret returns for her third appearance on the PowerShell Podcast and brings the same energy that keeps people coming back. She and Andrew cover a lot of ground, starting with her upcoming "Chase the Sun" charity cycling event where she'll attempt to ride 205 miles coast-to-coast across the UK in a single day, starting at sunrise on the longest day of the year and racing the sun to the finish line. It's a big undertaking, and she's riding to raise money for Momentum in Fitness, a charity her wife works for that brings fitness opportunities to older adults, kids in non-traditional school settings, and children with cancer. On the technical side, Jess makes the case for PowerShell splatting as an underrated beginner concept that makes code dramatically more readable. She walks through the idea of pulling parameters out of a long command line, organizing them into a hash table, and passing that hash table to the command instead. It's one of those things experienced scripters take for granted, but seeing it for the first time is genuinely useful. The conversation also gets into Desired State Configuration (DSC), where Andrew and Jess dig into what it is, how it works, and why it matters for sysadmins who want to maintain consistent configuration across their environments. Jess also opens up about managing a packed schedule between her day job, speaking, podcasting, LinkedIn Learning courses, and serious bike training. Her answer is honest and relatable: she's still figuring it out, but Todoist and a very supportive partner help a lot. Key Takeaways: Splatting is one of the most readable improvements you can make to your PowerShell code. Instead of chaining parameters into one long command, you load them into a hash table and pass that to your command with an @ symbol. Cleaner to write, easier to read, and especially useful when you're sharing code on a screen. DSC lets you define what a system should look like and PowerShell handles the work of getting it (and keeping it) there. It's a mindset shift from scripting manual steps to declaring an end state, and it's particularly powerful in large environments where consistency matters. Having a support system is one of the most underrated factors in being able to sustain a high-output career alongside community contributions. Whether it's people around you who help carry the load or finding your people in the data and PowerShell communities, you can't do it alone indefinitely. Guest Bio: Jess Pomfret is a Data Platform Engineer and a dual Microsoft MVP. She's been working with SQL Server since 2011, is a maintainer on the dbatools open source project, co-host of the Finding Data Friends podcast, and a LinkedIn Learning instructor. She grew up in the south-west of England and now lives in the US. Outside of tech, she's an avid cyclist, padel player, and a devoted fan of proper football.   Resource Links: Connect with Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpomfret Connect with Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links Jess's blog: https://jesspomfret.com Support Jess's Chase the Sun ride for Momentum in Fitness: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jess-pomfret Finding Data Friends podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@findingdatafriends/videos dbatools – PowerShell module for SQL Server automation: https://dbatools.io Jess's previous episode on the PowerShell Podcast (Ep. 164): https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/from-proper-football-to-databases-with-jess-pomfret/ Jess's first appearance on the PowerShell Podcast: https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/dbatools-with-jess-pomfret/ Join the PDQ Discord: https://discord.gg/pdq The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M2XvvCKs1Ls

Text your thoughts and questions!Last week, we focused on clearing the digital clutter through unsubscribing and archiving. Today, we move from the cleanup to the construction of a better system. Whether your inbox is currently chaotic or freshly cleared, the goal is to build a structure that handles community commitments, client needs, and family logistics without competing for your attention.This week, episode 311 of the Positively Living® Podcast is about how to organize your inbox so it stops being a source of stress and starts being a system for living well!In this episode of the Positively Living® Podcast, I share how to use filters, labels, and strategic forwarding to ensure your inbox supports your real life.Key Takeaways:Automate with Filters: Set up automated instructions to apply labels or archive emails based on specific criteria, such as the sender or subject line.Create Intuitive Folders: Build labels that match how you naturally search for information, whether by topic or by sender.Avoid Overcomplicating Categories: Use larger, intentional categories instead of creating a folder for every single thing to prevent a different form of overwhelm.Route Information Strategically: Use forwarding to keep collaborators in the loop or send action-oriented emails directly to a task manager like Todoist.Flag for Follow-Up: Utilize the starring feature as a lightweight way to curate a list of emails that require your attention later.Distinguish Archive from Delete: Archive for intentional preservation of items like contracts, while deleting anything that has served its purpose and is no longer needed.Define the Tool: Treat your inbox as a decision-making tool rather than a primary to-do list.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don't forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about Positively LivingⓇ and Lisa at https://positivelyproductive.com/podcast/Stop trying to fit into someone else's productivity rules! Grab my free Productivity Toolkit, a collection of workbooks designed to help you explore how you work, uncover what truly matters to you, and create your very own energy-friendly systems. Get it here: www.positivelyproductive.com/plpkitCONNECT WITH LISA ZAWROTNY:FacebookInstagramWork with Lisa! LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Ep 310: Easy Ways to Declutter Your Inbox Tech Tools Playlist Book a Clarity Call(Find links to books/gear on the Positively Productive Resources Page.)Dance Song Playlist V1, V2, V3Music by Ian and Jeff ZawrotnyStart your own podcast withRequest this Toolkit and other free resources at the Resources Page.

Este episodio está patrocinado por MyTrafficAnaliza ubicaciones, flujo peatonal, tráfico y potencial comercial en segundos con Gini, la herramienta conversacional de MyTraffic.Disfruta de –10 % en la versión Pro con el código ITNIGPruébalo gratis ahoraDescubre más en la web de MyTraffic o haciendo clic en este enlace : https://hubs.ly/Q044FdNW0En este episodio del podcast de Itnig hablamos con Amir Salihefendić, fundador de Doist, la compañía detrás de Todoist, sobre cómo se construye una empresa de software global durante casi 20 años sin levantar capital. Una conversación muy potente sobre producto, libertad, dinero, cultura y cómo cambia todo cuando la IA abarata construir software y acelera la competencia.Hablamos de cómo Todoist pasó de ser una simple app de tareas creada en 2007 a convertirse en una empresa con medio millón de clientes de pago y alrededor de 30 millones de ARR, de por qué Amir no vendería Doist ni por 1 billón, y de su idea de que hoy el verdadero moat ya no son tanto las features como la marca, la velocidad de adaptación y la capacidad de seguir construyendo algo con gusto y criterio.También entramos en cómo están rehaciendo su roadmap en la era de la IA, qué nuevos productos están construyendo, por qué creen que la comunicación interna sigue mal resuelta, cómo usan varios modelos para revisar código, y por qué siguen apostando por un modelo remote-first, asíncrono y bootstrap, aunque con una visión muy clara de sus límites, especialmente para perfiles junior.Y al final también hay espacio para la historia personal de Amir: salir de Bosnia por la guerra, crecer en Dinamarca, pasar por Start-Up Chile, conocer allí a su mujer y acabar construyendo una empresa global desde fuera del guión típico de Silicon Valley.

Welcome to Episode 160 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing Welcome to Episode #160 of “Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing” In this episode,the topic is “The Joy of Building and Growing an Online Business” I discuss how I came to discover the world of online entrepreneurship in 2005 and left my previous life as a classroom teacher and real estate broker/residential appraiser behind to start my own online business in 2026. Perhaps this lifestyle is right for you as well. I am sharing a live session of my “Really Simple Authority Blogging” ongoing training course with you and know you will benefit from the marketing strategies I am sharing and teaching here. Be sure to connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com or on X at https://x.com/ConnieGreen so I may serve you in the areas where my help could make a huge difference in your results. I’m going to share with you how much fun I’m having with creating simple courses using AI (Artificial Intelligence) in about 30 minutes. I know you can do the same thing. Keep it simple, and add the short course you create to a page on your existing website/blog. In this episode I’m discussing how to use keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow your business. Your prospects and future clients, customers, and colleagues are waiting to connect with you, but if they can’t find you online it will never happen. Make it simple for your target audience to find you by using the keywords and phrases they are most likely to be searching for on Google, Bing, and the other search engines. The Power and Gift of Change”- We are all changing throughout each day, and I think we must embrace this change in order to grow and move forward. Changing can take many forms, and if you look back through your life you will come to understand that you are not the same person you were even a year ago. Here is a quote about this you may resonate with… “Growth lives outside the comfort zone. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably doing it right.” ~ Marie Forleo I believe that our businesses are based on the concept of serving others. When you start on online (or even a brick and mortar) business, your goal is to serve others with what you know and to benefit in multiple ways, including by earning an excellent income. I’m sharing several examples in this podcast about my own and experiences with clients over the years. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This morning I was reading the message written by outgoing Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In it, he stated that his “parting prescription” for the American people is to cultivate a strong sense of community to help themselves and others. He added, “Relationships, service, and purpose are the time-tested triad of fulfillment that stands in contrast to wealth, fame, and power which define the modern-day triad of success.” Here are some other questions I want you to ask yourself: What is your commitment to yourself and to others close to you? Why are you focused on the things that are taking up your time? When will you begin to focus on goals that will allow you to create and leave a legacy? Whom do you trust to get you there? Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you. Motivation and Inspiration: What It Takes to Get Your Spark Back” During 2024 I went through a period where I wasn’t as motivated as I had been accustomed to being for many years. This gave me time to explore why I was feeling this way and to hopefully learn something that would help others. My inspiration to do all of the things I love in my business, including writing, creating, marketing, and mentoring was waning and I wasn’t sure why. Within a couple of months I was back on track and this is what I learned… Life isn’t easy, but then it isn’t supposed to be. Being challenged in so many ways on a regular basis makes us stronger and perhaps more appreciative and grateful for what we already have and what we know we can achieve if we believe in ourselves and have even one other person who knows we are special and tells us that as often as possible. Marie Forleo wrote a book titled “Everything Is Figureoutable” – https://ConnieLoves.me/FigureOutAble – Her precept is that if you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com and want to hear from you on this topic, or on anything else. “Merging Your Life with Your Business” as a strategy. We aren’t creating a business we need a vacation from. Instead, we’re creating a “lifestyle by design” where we have the time and financial freedom to live in a way that few people are able to, and with choices around everything we do. If you’ve met me in person, heard me on my podcast, or read any of my books, you know that I am a very positive person. No matter what situation or circumstances arises, I truly believe there will always be a positive outcome on the horizon, and sooner rather than later. But I wasn’t always this way. This is a journey that continues… My first year online was 2006, and very quickly I connected with people I’m still part of a Mastermind with in Austin, Texas. I was invited to speak at an event there a couple of years later. It was hosted by Joe Vitale and Mendhi Audlin was also there. She shared a concept she had come up with that she calls “What If… UP!” The premise is that there is truly a silver lining in everything negative that occurs. I liken this to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. My precept and general rule for life is that we can achieve anything we want and feel that we deserve. Others want to help us to achieve our goals, but many times we get in their way by telling ourselves stories that aren’t true. Mendhi’s precept aligns with mine, and a year or so after I first met her she published a book on this… “What If It All Goes Right?: Creating a New World of Peace, Prosperity & Possibility” by Mendhi Audlin reveals the secret to turning possibilities into a tangible reality. It works! https://ConnieLoves.me/WhatIfUp I’m discussing the importance of being willing to “Better Your Best” during this new year, as well as recommending that this be the year you finally embrace AI – Artificial Intelligence – for your business. I have been a student of and someone who uses AI almost daily since February of 2022, and I’m learning from experts Andy O”Bryan and Denise Wakeman in their ongoing AI Success Club. Asking “How Are You Defining Success?” Creating a business as an entrepreneur allows you to live a lifestyle by design, with both time freedom and financial freedom. Think about how you want to live each day and then take action to make it happen. Over the years I’ve changed many things, while others have remained the same. Instead of making changes just for the sake of change, think about what you could change up and what makes sense to remain at least mostly the same. Years ago, I used to put together my blog posts on a single topic, like copywriting or list building or creation digital products into a simple document that I referred to as a ‘Focus Guide’ and gave them away to my list and to my prospects. Each of these documents contained resources and an ‘About the Author’ page that helped me to build my credibility, visibility, and profitability. For the first time ever, I am recommending that you write a book about yourself, your niche topic, and how you serve others. I first did this in 2009 and now I have written and published twenty-eight full-length, non-fiction books on the topics of entrepreneurship, personal, development, and authorship. Life can be messy. Are their ways you can keep moving forward when your personal life is turning upside down? Yes! Finding joy in helping and serving others, as well as compartmentalizing what is currently going on in your life are just two of the ways to deal with change and situations outside of your control. I recommend that you choose two social media platforms to use for the sole purpose of helping your prospects find and connect with you online. My favorite is X – formerly known as Twitter, and I also use LinkedIn and YouTube as my favorite social media sites to grow my business. Please connect with me on these sites and let me know how I may best serve you as you build and grow your profitable business. Is your list of what you are willing to do longer than your list of what you don’t want to do? I recommend a mile-long “to-do” list and a daily schedule of no more than four things that you will work on each day in your business. Find a mentor who believes in you and get started with creating a lifestyle by design that you want and deserve. I’m recommending James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” – https://ConnieLoves.me/AtomicHabits – as a book to help you alleviate your fears. We all have hopes, dreams, goals, and fears regarding our life experiences. I have found that if we build up our confidence and have faith that everything will turn out in a way that will be beneficial to all, we can continue to move forward without negative effects. Having an online business requires confidence. These are some questions to ask yourself: Who will you serve? What are your prospects pain points? What’s your idea? How will it be created, and then delivered? How will you sell it online? Creating a simple product or online course is the beginning of living a lifestyle by design. Reach out to me any time at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to know more about getting started as an online entrepreneur. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My first online course back in 2006 was a simple one with three audio trainings and a workbook. Then, I began creating more sophisticated, but not more complicated courses. I’ve used the “Really Simple” branding for many courses at least 25 times, as well as using other terms and phrases based on the keywords I am optimizing for with each new course. Having your own online course on a topic you want to become known for will give you leverage to grow your business exponentially over time. It’s interesting to me that we as humans sometimes take things for granted that later on we know we should have appreciated in the moment. What I’m referring to here is having an online business you can run from home, or from anywhere in the world. There’s a window of opportunity that isn’t always open, and right now this window is wide open to everyone. A lot of it depends upon economic factors. I almost went back to graduate school two years ago to study economics, but decided against it because of the film and television writing I’m pursuing, but that’s a story for another time. Someone I work closely with had posted this quote from Richard Branson the other day: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” This does NOT apply to online business, but instead refers to starting a physical, brick and mortar business. I know several people in both of my cities who borrowed against their homes, cashed out retirement savings, and sold family heirlooms to start businesses in the community, only to go bankrupt a couple of years later. What I’m saying here is that this is the time to get your online business off the ground and up and running profitably. It’s so inexpensive in comparison, and the biggest expense I incur is what I pay mentors to guide me in the right direction. Yes, I still have a mentor and recommend you do as well. This isn’t coaching, but instead a personal relationship you’ll build over time that could lead to strategic alliance partnerships and lifelong friendships. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you want to know more about mentoring with me. The four widely accepted learning modalities (or modes) are known by the acronym VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic. They are sometimes inaccurately referred to as “learning styles” which implies that each learner has a “style” of learning that should be maximized in all learning situations. Focusing on consistency, productivity, and creativity makes sense for all online entrepreneurs in 2024. I’m also sharing some effective and time-proven strategies with you here that will make a difference in your business, as well as in your personal life experience. Each day I focus on writing, creating, marketing, and teaching/learning/mentoring. My writing began as short and simple blog posts and blossomed into more than twenty-five full-length books. My writing is my oeuvre, my body of work that is my legacy to family, friends, colleagues, and those who follow me. During 2023 I wrote and published more than 400 thousand words. This breaks down to one full-length book, Self-Directed: Inspire, Motivate, and Empower Yourself to the Greatness That Lies Within; the current book on marketing that is more than halfway written; 8 short reports on topics of interest to the people I work with online; one hundred thirty-eight blog posts on three different blogs I maintain; and 382 email messages to my online community. These are  practical strategies for effective time management, emphasizing the importance of creating a balance between work and personal life. Achieving work-life harmony requires effective time management strategies that allow you to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Here are some strategies to help you manage your time more efficiently: 1. Set Clear Priorities: Identify your most important tasks and priorities for both work and personal life. Focus on what truly matters and allocate time accordingly. 2. Use a Time Management System: Choose a time management system that works for you, whether it’s a digital tool like Todoist or Trello, or a physical planner. Organize tasks, set deadlines, and track your progress. Schedules vs To-Do Lists 3. Prioritize Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Prioritize tasks based on these categories. 4. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and tackle them during specific time blocks. This reduces the mental load of switching between different types of activities. 5. Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different activities. This includes work tasks, personal commitments, and breaks. Stick to the schedule as much as possible. 6. Learn to Say No: Be selective about taking on new commitments. Saying no when necessary helps you avoid over-committing and allows you to focus on your existing priorities. 7. Delegate When Possible: Delegate tasks that others can handle. This applies to both professional and personal responsibilities. It’s okay to ask for help. 8. Practice the Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming. 9. Limit Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce efficiency and increase stress. Complete one task before moving on to the next. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You’re starting a conversation with your emails, and building a relationship with your prospects, customers, and clients over time. I’ve been online as an entrepreneur, marketer, and writer since 2006, and while much has changed, I believe that more has remained the same. Here, I’m discussing how we marketed in those early days, and why email marketing still remains top of mind. Most recently, I’ve co-hosted an Advanced Email Marketing Conference with Ellen Finkelstein. In April of 2023, I hosted my latest live marketing event in Los Angeles, and more recently I’ve hosted my Santa Barbara Retreat for those I mentor and teach. But like everyone else, I began by attending live events, and eventually virtual events in order to find my voice, connect with other like-minded people, and learn more about building and growing my online business. Guerilla marketing is a way to drive publicity and, as a result, brand awareness by promoting using unconventional methods designed to evoke surprise, wonder, or shock. Guerrilla marketing is the creating use of novel or unconventional methods in order to boost sales or attract interest in a brand or business. These methods are often low- or no-cost and involve the widespread use of more personal interactions or through viral social media messaging. This marketing method has increased in popularity with the rise of ubiquitous mobile and connected technologies that can amplify messaging and focus on target groups of consumers. Some consumers may be more attracted by guerrilla marketing campaigns as they may be more interesting and daring, while others may be turned off because of the perceived “disruptive” aspects of this style of marketing. Please subscribe and leave me a review. And connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com. Find out more about me HERE. Becoming an online entrepreneur was the best decision I ever made. I’ve been online since 2006 and now help others all over the world to do the same or something similar. We all have times where we are feeling a little down, lost, or confused. Life isn’t easy, and no one makes it out alive! These are my recommendations for how to get back on track and feeling more happy and optimistic about your future… Write! Whether you’re already a writer or are just beginning to think about sharing your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others, writing makes sense. I write every single day and publish much of my writing as blog posts, short reports, and full-length books. Writing opens your mind to what you want in the future, by allowing you to explore the past through your memories. You can also retell and reframe your stories in a way that will serve you going forward. Start a new project! I usually create products and courses as new projects, but this can also manifest as something you build or create with your hands. I have family members on two continents that love to put together complex jigsaw puzzles. They look forward to these as a new project on a regular basis. Volunteer! Before I started my online business, I promised myself I would volunteer my time and donate money to charitable causes… as soon as I had the time and the money to do so. Once I had my own business, I realized that I had some time and a little money to do this all along. Spend time with new people! As a part of the volunteering I now do regularly, I’ve spent time with very young children, veterans, women starting over after being in a domestic violence situation, and more. This work continues to make a difference in my life. As you can see, there are many ways to get back to your “Why?” and I hope this has been helpful to you. What’s the best niche topic to cover in your blog? I know you don’t what to hear me say “It depends.” so I won’t. Lean in, and I’ll share the very best niche for you, and it’s one that is also the most profitable, will feel more like you’re just having fun, will never go out of style, and will be the one that has absolutely zero competition. Which niche topic and target audience could it possibly be? I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. I learned when I began online 17 years ago that the best niche for anyone is the one that makes your heart sing and is probably a topic you take for granted. I had been teaching school for twenty years and my students were mostly Spanish and Tagalog native speakers. I told them if they wrote just a few sentences every single day – weekends, holidays, and school breaks included – their writing would improve. Those who followed my advice excelled, while those who didn’t floundered. During all those years, I seldom wrote anything unless it was required for my work as a teacher or for my part-time work in real estate. Fast forward to 2006, and I realized not only that I needed to write in order to succeed online, but also that what I’d done with my students would apply here as well. My niche for the next eighteen months was around helping others to write, publish, market, and sell eBooks. I wrote one on real estate farming – choosing and area close to home to connect with people who may need your services – as an example and sold it on my website. Back then, you had to sell eBooks on your own websites, as Amazon had not yet entered the world of self-publishing. My niche and website became “eBook writing and marketing secrets” and this topic took me to six figures. I was learning right along with the people who were learning and buying from me. I then moved that site over to https://ConnieRagenGreen.com to make a name for myself and to branch out to other topics. The bottom line is that you must begin by sharing what you already know something about and love. Blogging is the direct path to the visibility, credibility, and profitability you wish to have in your business. In my business, every idea begins as a blog post. This is where I think and research and brainstorm what’s on my mind in the very beginning. The blog post is ground zero for what could, and many times does become a product, course or program. Blog posts, while based on your idea, can be created with original content, private label (PLR) rights content, guest content, or curated content. While I immediately share my published posts on social media as “micro content” you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours before syndicating your content on Medium. I also teach this syndication strategy in my popular and ongoing Syndication Optimization training program. Next up in your content creation and content marketing strategy is a short report, which you may sell online or give away as a lead magnet. I teach all of this in my Really Simple Short Reports training. This is what we refer to as “cornerstone” content that is extremely valuable. The final step is creating “authority content” by publishing your writing as a Kindle or paperback book to increase your visibility and build your reputation as an expert on your topic. I typically discuss time management and productivity in regards to entrepreneurs, marketers, and authors, and I’ve even co-authored a bestselling book on this topic, entitled “Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Manage Your Time to Increase Your Bottom Line” where we outline in great details the steps you may take to reach a level of optimal productivity and time management as an entrepreneur. But what about everyone else? Doesn’t every person deserve to live the lifestyle they want and deserve, where they enjoy financial freedom and the time to enjoy every moment to the fullest? Of course they do, and that’s what I’m sharing during this podcast. When I began online as a new entrepreneur in 2006, I realized immediately I would need help with technology and graphics, as these were the areas where I had no experience or talent. I bartered for these services for the first year or so, and then began to put together a team of people to support me so my business could grow. When I look back over my lifetime, I see that I have always had a team supporting me, whether it was while I worked as a classroom teacher, or in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. Even while I was growing up, I was surrounded by people who supported me, from family, friends and neighbors to teachers, clergy, and people in the community. Put together your team and watch your business grow exponentially! When it comes to your visibility as an entrepreneur, where may we find you to see what you’re doing? This expert status comes from your writing, videos and audios, and your social media presence on the most active platforms for your target audience. My three popular and active blogs are at ConnieRagenGreen.com, HugeProfitsTinyList.com, and at MondayMorningMellow.com. Credibility is about what you already know and what you are learning. We all started our online businesses as adults, so we brought our knowledge and experiences with us. It made sense for me to help people write, market, and publish eBooks in the beginning, because I had worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years prior to coming online, and was learning about marketing and self-publishing. Profitability means that you must ask “What’s for sale?” every day in your business. Create your own simple products and courses, recommend others with affiliate marketing, and look into buying the resale rights to sell other people’s products as your own like I continue to do in my own business. The final part of this information on your expert status as an entrepreneur includes productivity, consistency, and attention to detail. Get everything in place as quickly as possible, and your online business is sure to grow exponentially! During my first couple of years online, beginning in 2007 I connected with mentors Alex Mandossian and Raymond Aaron. When I inquired as to what they were doing together as strategic alliance partners, they gave me a brief explanation and told me that I was not yet ready to move up to this level. Over the next two years they helped me to grow and elevate my business and my mindset as an online entrepreneur so that I could connect with others in this way. Seek out the people and groups you wish to be involved with and show them that you have moved past tactics and on to strategies. It will make all the difference and as you uplevel everything you’re doing online in your business, your free time and disposable income will increase exponentially! When I work with people in my Incubator Mastermind Mentoring program, the goal is to move them into position to become a strategic alliance partner with me and others to share their message in a bigger way. WHY did you choose the career you started your working life with? WHY did you get married, have children, and move into your first home? WHY did you make the conscious decision to leave your career at some point and start your business? WHY do you want to be an author or entrepreneur, or coach? WHY do you get up every single day and do the work required to become more successful on an ongoing basis? Everyone must have a WHY and there are no right or wrong answers here. But if you find yourself unmotivated to work or if you find yourself procrastinating on projects, then it's time to re-examine the main reason for your business. Name Your Reason – or Your WHY – for Starting a Business Focusing on your WHY can help motivate you, so write down your reason for starting a business on a regular basis. Did you want to fill your free time? Did you want to earn some play money or contribute to the family finances? Did you want to pay the medical bills of an aging parent or a sick child? Did you want to pay for your child's higher education or private school tuition? In my case, my answer to “what's your why?” was always around having enough income to live life on my terms. Over time, I came to the realization that every choice I was making, and each time I could not do something that had meaning for me, was all related to me needing to earn a paycheck or a commission from the classroom teaching and real estate work I was involved with each day. I missed just about every family event, vacation, and other activities because I was working 60 or more hours a week in order to cover my bills and other expenses. I wasn't angry or resentful because I believed that I didn't deserve to have a better life during those decades. This all changed in 2005 when I began reading books and attending events based on self improvement and personal development principles. Writing these reasons down – no matter what they are because every person's WHY will be different – should help motivate you to work hard. You should feel driven to make your business a success. You should be willing to tackle things outside your comfort zone because you know the end result will help your business. If you're not feeling motivated, then you need to dig deeper. I worked closely with a woman who was struggling to make her online business become profitable, and she continued to tell me that she had no problems or struggles in her life, currently or during her younger years. Then, one day she told me about her granddaughter who had passed away at age twelve and the floodgates opened. We got to the bottom of things, she discovered her why, and her business grew by leaps and bounds, almost overnight! Be Open and Willing to Examine Your Inner Feelings Life is fluid and ever-changing so it stands to reason that your WHY would change over time as well. Even if you started your business because you didn't know what to do once your kids were in full day school, you can change that WHY to something more meaningful now. A mentor once shared with me that she started a service business because she was a single mom and needed to earn money to survive. She was responsible for lodging, food, and clothing for herself and her child. She didn't have anyone to rely on except herself. THIS is enough to make you cry and to hustle for work, knowing that if she wasn't working, she wasn't eating. What are you passionate about that will get you hustling? Are you passionate about a cause or charity that can benefit from your financial assistance? Do you need to pull yourself up out of financial despair? Don't be afraid to own that reason and fight for your business. This is how you will continue to get closer to understanding and recognizing the answer to “what's your why?” Don't be Afraid to Switch Business Gears to Discover Your “Why” One of my mentees admitted to me early on that even though she has been in a service business for over ten years, that she hadn't been motivated to create any classes or products as a source of passive income. She blamed her indecision on a lack of new ideas and a feeling and belief that everything she knew had already been said and done, but I questioned if it was because she didn't feel attached to her particular niche of online marketing. After some more discussion, she agreed and has since modified her services that align better with what she enjoys. I still suggested that she explore a deeper WHY but this is a step in the right direction. Plenty of businesses add or subtract products or services or modify their mission statement. If something about your business doesn't feel right, don't be afraid to make changes. I'm bestselling author and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green, and now I can confidently answer the question “What's your why?” with enthusiasm and conviction. My “why” is around the concept of helping others to achieve their goals and dreams with writing and having a profitable online business so they may follow their dreams and passions without having to do work that doesn't make their heart sing or worry about meeting all of their financial obligations with grace and ease. You can double your productivity and be success with a business, or with anything you choose to accomplish in your life, if you are willing to implement what you learn and take decisive action on a consistent basis. Many people come to me to learn how to successful and profitable as an online entrepreneur. But some of them end up saying “I already know that” and moving on to something else. I know that I am able to do more than I ever thought would be possible in my life because I am willing to learn, implement, course correct, ask questions, take massive action and keep moving forward with consistency. Others may be smarter or more knowledgeable, but if they hesitate to take action they will not achieve the results they are hoping for in their business or with anything else. As long as you are specific and intentional with what you want to achieve, you can do it all as an entrepreneur, just not all at once. And we must throw perfection out the window. I have a new saying… The more perfecter your goal, the less purfeckt your results. “Everything we do in our lives is preparing us for something that will arise in the future, even though we don’t yet know what that will be.” ~ Connie Ragen Green Our stories are the fabric of our life. A story sets you apart from everyone else, makes you unique and memorable, and is all you have when it's all said and done. When I was a young child a neighbor girl, seven or eight years old at the time, interrupted my mother in the middle of a story she was telling to ask, “Why do you have so many stories?” My mother hardly skipped a beat, informing the girl that “You'll have stories too, when you get older.” On that evening a part of me became a storyteller in training. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I was telling stories about everything from what I did in school that day to what happened in the neighborhood. I wore my storyteller's hat with pride and now I see that this one aspect of my life was preparing me for what I now do in my business and derive great joy from every single day. The word “praestabilis” is from the Latin and means outstanding, excellent, and extraordinary and this is the goal for you as you make your way in the online world. It took me until age 50 to step into the light and live an empowered life. I achieved this by leaving a job – classroom teaching – and a career as a real estate broker and appraiser to come online as an entrepreneur. I have no regrets about waiting so long, as everything unfolds once we are open to receiving it. There are three top strategies to help you move closer to an empowered life and they include… Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program. Recent posts on my three blogs are at: “Broken Compass Stories We Tell Ourselves” – https://mondaymorningmellow.com/broken-compass-story/ “The eBook That Changed My Life” – https://hugeprofitstinylist.com/ebook-that-changed-my-life/ “Marketing Secrets from Creative Sources” – https://connieragengreen.com/marketing-secrets-from-creative-sources/ Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics. Masterminding – Connecting with others for the sole purpose of reaching your full potential is crucial to life success. Find a Mastermind group to join, or start your own by inviting thought leaders to connect with you in this way. I have a group called the Incubator Mastermind that may be of interest to you. Hopefully, you can see that what I’m sharing with on each podcast will make a difference for you as you build and grow your business as an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. Make sure to think of marketing as a priority and get into the habit of sharing your best ideas and resources with the people who are on their way to becoming your raving fans! I’m always just an email away at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to connect with me. I promise to help you keep it simple while you grow your online business. Get started with your own eBook empire by learning how to write an eBook from the person who continues to guide me along this lucrative journey. Take a look at How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook…in as Little as 7 Days from expert and author Jim Edwards. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you as I share my beliefs, perceptions, and experiences as an author, online entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with you. Marketing has become the joy of my life as I continue to learn, grow, and share concepts with others. I'm bestselling author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 160 first appeared on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 160 appeared first on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.

My absolute favorite task manager is Todoist. I've been around the block and used all the major ones — from Remember the Milk to OmniFocus and everything in between. Todoist is the best for me.But a task manager only tells part of the story — it tells us what we got done.It doesn't tell us anything about how we were feeling that day. How many tasks did we move or ignore? How many have we checked off just so we'd stop seeing them?And it shouldn't. That's what task journaling is for.Here's how to get started:Pick three and only three tasks for the dayCheck in with yourself at middayAssess at the end of the day — what worked, what didn't, and whyDo this for two weeks, and you'll have a clearer picture of how you actually work — and what it takes to protect the time that matters most.Want some help?Try the Daily Three Task Journal app (currently in beta on TestFlight) or grab the free Notion template at streamlined.fm/app. And if you already use some form of task journaling, I'd love to hear about it — head over to streamlinedfeedback.com and let me know.Show NotesTodoistAt Your Best by Carey Nieuwhof (00:00) - What Is Task Journaling? (04:26) - The Daily 3 Task Journal System (06:59) - Understanding Your Green Zone and Red Zone (11:04) - How I Built an iOS App for This Method (13:17) - Where to Find the App and Notion Template Simplify your tech stack at  https://streamlined.fm/tools ★ Support this podcast ★

Ubuntu wants a leaner, stricter GRUB, and your favorite setup may not survive the cut. We break down what's really changing, and the practical ways to adapt. Plus, Chris moves on from one of his favorite open source apps.Sponsored By:Jupiter Party Annual Membership: Put your support on automatic with our annual plan, and get one month of membership for free!Managed Nebula: Meet Managed Nebula from Defined Networking. A decentralized VPN built on the open-source Nebula platform that we love.Support LINUX UnpluggedLinks:

In this episode of Torsion Talk, Ryan shares one of the most exciting AI breakthroughs he and Austin have built so far during a two-day hackathon. If you've been curious about AI agents, automation, productivity, and what this technology could actually do for your business right now, this episode is a must-listen.Ryan opens with a few updates, including the upcoming IDA Expo, free hats for podcast subscribers, giveaways at the booth, and the completion of his new basement podcast studio. Then he dives into the real story: what happened during their internal AI hackathon and the tools they were able to build in just two days.The first completed project was a payroll automation designed to handle complex commission plans and save more than 100 hours a year of office time. The second major initiative focused on simplifying the transition from one field management software platform to another, helping home service companies avoid painful software migrations. But the biggest breakthrough was the launch of Ryan's own custom AI agent.This AI assistant was built with security first and designed to manage real daily work. Ryan explains how it can drive his inbox to zero by the end of each day, archive marketing emails, sort important messages into folders, create actionable tasks in Todoist, assign them to his assistant, and help manage his calendar. He also built a master-agent system that can delegate to specialized sub-agents for specific jobs, from monitoring eBay for rare sports cards to delivering live updates from his daughter's track meet.Ryan believes this kind of AI automation can save him four hours a day, plus additional time for his assistant, creating massive gains in productivity for a fraction of the cost of another employee. He also reflects on what this means for business owners, marketers, garage door companies, and really any company trying to stay competitive in a world where AI is no longer coming in the future — it is already here.This episode is part behind-the-scenes build log, part AI strategy session, and part warning about how quickly the world of business is changing. If you want to understand where AI agents are heading and how they could impact your company, your workflow, and your future, don't miss this one.Find Ryan at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://garagedooru.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aaronoverheaddoors.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://markinuity.com/⁠Check out our sponsors!Sommer USA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://sommer-usa.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Surewinder - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surewinder.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stealth Hardware - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://quietmydoor.com/⁠

I remember when Nextel first launched its "push-to-talk" walkie-talkie feature back in the late 90s. It mostly resulted in people yelling into their phones at the mall, and it honestly made me hate the idea of talking to my phone in public for decades. But things have changed.Between the rise of asynchronous communication and the power of AI transcription, I've found that talking to my phone is actually one of the best ways to stay productive while I'm away from my desk.In this episode, I'm breaking down why I've embraced talking to my phone. I'll share the two specific apps that have simplified my workflow—Whisper Memos and Todoist's Ramble feature—so I can capture context, brain dump my shutdown routines, and turn spoken ideas into actionable tasks without losing a single thought.Is your tech stack helping you or just adding to the noise? Take my free tech stack assessment to see if your tools are actually worth it at streamlined.fm/tools.Show Notes**Whisper Memos:** The iOS app I use for high-quality transcription and custom summaries.**Todoist:** My go-to task manager, specifically using the new "Ramble" feature for voice-to-task entry.Video: Todoist Killed My Favorite Automation (and I'm Happy About It)Streamlined Feedback: Share how you use voice notes at streamlinedfeedback.comTech Stack Assessment: Get clarity on your tools at streamlined.fm/tools Simplify your tech stack at  https://streamlined.fm/tools ★ Support this podcast ★

“If everything's important, then nothing is important”. You've probably heard that many times. Yet, are you guilty of ignoring it?  In today's episode, I share with you a few ideas on how to best prioritise your days.  Links: Email Me | Twitter | Fac ebook | Website | Linkedin   The Ultimate Productivity Workshop  The Hybrid Productivity Course    Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 405 Hello, and welcome to the real episode 405 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. (Apologies for the incorrect numbering last week) A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  How many overdue flagged tasks do you have in your task manager? If you're like most people, you will have quite a few.  The question is: why are they overdue? You made a conscious decision that these tasks were important, but then did not do them when you wanted to do them. This is something I struggled with for years. I would add flags to anything I felt was important, then completely ignore them throughout my day. It wasn't until I realised I was making a mistake and diminishing the power that flags give me, that I changed my approach. Over the last few weeks, I've seen this coming up in a lot of my coaching sessions, where I notice overdue flagged tasks cluttering things up and becoming a distraction to the user.  The other issue here is that overdue flagged tasks cause an increase in anxiety. You flagged them because they were important or urgent, and now you have a long list of such tasks. Where do you start to get them under control?  Now, before I hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question, if you've been waiting for the 2026 Ultimate Productivity Workshop, then the wait's over. Coming on the 8th and 15th of March, join me live for a festival of productivity. Featuring the COD foundation, the Time Sector System, and how to get on top of your backlogs and so much more, including the DPS (daily Planning Sequence and the WPM (weekly Planning Matrix).  Places are limited, so get yourself registered today. Full details are in the show notes.  And now it's time to hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice. This week's question comes from Caroline. Caroline asks, “ Hi Carl, I've recently cleaned up my Todoist, and as I was doing so, I found a lot of flagged tasks that I had ignored. These are important tasks, and I don't want to remove the flag. But it's become so overwhelming. What's the best way to use flags, in your opinion?  Hi Caroline, thank you for your question.  As a Todoist user, you have many options for your flags. There are technically four flags. P1 (red), P2 (orange), P3 (blue) and P4 (white). The P4 flag isn't really a flag, since all tasks default to it. With these flags, there are many ways you can organise them. However, you do need one of them to be your priority flag.  When I say “priority flag,” this is the one you use when a task absolutely must be done on the day it was assigned.  Logically, you would use the P1 red flag for that.  Now, this is where many people go wrong.  It's very tempting to add a flag to a task long before it is due. The feeling is that if the task is important, it will still be important on the day you plan to do it.  Not true. Priorities change.  You plan to finish a proposal for your most important client on Thursday, but that morning, your daughter has a serious asthma attack, and you are now in the emergency room of your local hospital. Where's your priority now?  Okay, I know that example is a little extreme, but those things happen.  Priorities also change throughout the week. That important client may tell you the proposal is on hold for a few months, so there is no urgency. But new priorities will come along, don't you worry.  This is why adding your flags should be done at a daily planning level.  Now I will caveat that.  There are times when I know something will be the priority for the day. The script for this podcast, for instance, is today's priority. I knew that when I planned the week, and I flagged it. It doesn't matter what other things pop up through the week; when it comes to writing this script, it's the priority for the day.  Your core work will always be a priority. This is why I have people spend time working out what their core work is. After all, your core work is the reason you are employed. If you didn't do your core work consistently, you would not have a job for very long.  Even retired people need to consider what their core activities will be each day.  I'm reminded of this following a conversation I had with my father-in-law over the weekend. We've just had the lunar New Year here in Korea, and my parents-in-law stayed with us over the holiday.  During that time, my father-in-law mentioned he planned to hang up his silicone gun and tiling trowel at the end of the year. He fits bathrooms and was thinking about what he would do when he no longer needs to wake up at 5:00 am each morning.  The first thing I said was that he needs to prioritise exercise. His job ensures he's getting plenty of exercise. Walking up and down stairs carrying sinks, shower kits and tiles is hard physical work. His job currently ensures he's getting his exercise.  The moment he stops doing that five days a week, he will need to find a replacement activity to prevent muscle loss.  Losing his muscle mass will lead to him losing his independence very quickly.  We all have priorities that recur. Those tasks can be pre-flagged. They are critical, whether you are working or retired. Having a few tasks already prioritised helps you plan the day, since you can decide whether they will be the priority or not. Let me explain.  All of us are limited by the same thing each day. Time. It's the one thing none of us can change. Writing this podcast script takes about 2 to 2.5 hours. That eats a big chunk of my work time each week.  At the same time, we all have to deal with communications, meetings, admin and other day-to-day tasks. I need to include an hour each day for taking Louis for his walk, and next week, he also has a grooming appointment, which will take time out of my week.  Looking at next week's calendar today, I can see where my appointments are and already guess which tasks will be a priority. When I do my weekly planning, I pre-flag what I think will be the priority for each day, but I am aware that when I do daily planning, I may need to change it. There has to be a degree of flexibility.  It could be that I get an email on Monday asking for a proposal to work with a company and design a workshop for them. That would become a priority for that week.  I would add a task, “Begin work on company workshop”, and schedule it. Yet, I would not flag it then. When the day comes, and I do my daily planning, I then get to see the real landscape of my day.  It could be that I have five hours of meetings that day and two or three pre-planned, prioritised tasks. Now I have to make a decision. What is my REAL priority that day?  If I have promised to get the workshop outline to the client by the end of the week, that will be my red-flagged task that day. I made a promise, and I will deliver on that promise.  Given that I have five hours of meetings and need two hours to put together the outline and proposal, there's not going to be much time left for anything else that day. I need to re-prioritise my day.  So I add the flag to the workshop's proposal and decide on what needs to be rescheduled.  It's likely that, in that given scenario, I would not flag anything else. I know I don't have time to do much else.  This is why daily and weekly planning complement each other. The weekly plan is about setting yourself objectives. The daily plan is about ensuring you prioritise your day so you work towards meeting those objectives—given the new information, ie, new tasks that will inevitably come in.  Now I know many of you will add a flag to a task because you keep rescheduling it and just do not want to spend the time doing it. The thinking goes that if you flag it, you will do the task. Hmmm, how often does that work?  This is often the reason many flagged tasks become overdue. The only change is that the task now has a flag. Yet you still don't want to spend the time doing it. When you use your daily planning time to prioritise your day, you're using real, up-to-date information to guide you. You can remove flags from tasks you thought were important but are no longer, and add a flag to the tasks that are important that day.  I mentioned that you can pre-prioritise your week by flagging tasks at the weekly planning session. When you do the daily planning, you decide if your priorities have changed and, if so, remove flags or reschedule those tasks.  What I like about this approach is that it feels like your task manager is supporting you rather than the other way around. You retain control over what you will and will not do each day.  This works particularly well if you find yourself behind on something or have a backlog that needs dealing with. When you plan the day, you get to decide what to place on your task list and in what order. Now, how many flags should you allow each day? Several years ago, I decided to find out how many tasks I could consistently do each day for a week. I began with fifteen and soon discovered that if I wanted to be consistent, then that number was ten.  This number does not include routine tasks such as cleaning my actionable email, my daily admin tasks and the usual things we all have to do at work each day.  When it came to flagged tasks, I soon discovered that I could consistently do two important tasks a day. When I tried three or more, I frequently was unable to do one of them. I just ran out of time.  And so, my 2+8 Prioritisation Method was born.  This method forces you to realistically prioritise your day. You can choose only two must-do tasks for the day. These are flagged. The remaining eight are not flagged, and you will do what you can to clear that list each day.  This method works because it introduces constraints into your system.  Given that it's human nature to want to do more than we can realistically do each day, adding this constraint of no more than ten tasks per day ensures you are picking the genuinely important tasks.  No, that interesting YouTube video is not important. You can watch that any time. But renewing your father's prescription for him is.  Checking your car's tyre pressures before you head out on a long road trip this afternoon will be a priority over reading that article your colleague sent you.  I have my Todoist set up so I can see my red-flagged tasks each day using a filter. That filter is “today & P1”.  Each morning, before I begin my day, that's the first place I go. I review my flagged tasks and remove any excess.  This has taught me to become ruthlessly competent at prioritising.  Strangely, this goes back to something I learned in my teenage years. In Hyrum Smith's Ten Natural Laws of Time and Life Management, he writes about establishing your governing values. Today. I think of these as my Areas of Focus.  These governing values are the predetermined priorities in your life. Often, family will be at the top of that list. The idea is that your governing values have a natural prioritised list. For example, if your family's well-being is above your career, if your family needs you to do something, that will be prioritised over your work commitments.  For me, my health and fitness is above my work in my list of areas of focus. This means I will not schedule meetings at 4:30 pm. That's my exercise time. I will not do any work at that time either. At 4:30 pm, I exercise.  So there you go, Caroline. I hope that has helped. The key is to prioritise your day during your daily planning and use that time to reset your flags so nothing is ever overdue.  And above all, respect your flags. If you know you will not be doing a flagged task on any given day. Either reschedule the task or remove the flag.  Thank you for your question, and thank you to you too for listening.  It just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

Welcome to Episode 159 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing Welcome to Episode #159 of “Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing” In this episode,the topic is “Artificial Intelligence: Have You Embraced This Tool?” I love AI and began learning how to use it at the beginning of 2023. Many people are fearful of AI and imagine that it will be negative for the world. Now I write books and create courses using artificial intelligence and can’t imagine living without it. Where do you stand on this topic that has become so controversial? Would you be open to me interviewing you about this? I am sharing a live session of my “Really Simple Authority Blogging” ongoing training course with you and know you will benefit from the marketing strategies I am sharing and teaching here. Be sure to connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com or on X at https://x.com/ConnieGreen so I may serve you in the areas where my help could make a huge difference in your results. I’m going to share with you how much fun I’m having with creating simple courses using AI (Artificial Intelligence) in about 30 minutes. I know you can do the same thing. Keep it simple, and add the short course you create to a page on your existing website/blog. In this episode I’m discussing how to use keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow your business. Your prospects and future clients, customers, and colleagues are waiting to connect with you, but if they can’t find you online it will never happen. Make it simple for your target audience to find you by using the keywords and phrases they are most likely to be searching for on Google, Bing, and the other search engines. The Power and Gift of Change”- We are all changing throughout each day, and I think we must embrace this change in order to grow and move forward. Changing can take many forms, and if you look back through your life you will come to understand that you are not the same person you were even a year ago. Here is a quote about this you may resonate with… “Growth lives outside the comfort zone. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably doing it right.” ~ Marie Forleo I believe that our businesses are based on the concept of serving others. When you start on online (or even a brick and mortar) business, your goal is to serve others with what you know and to benefit in multiple ways, including by earning an excellent income. I’m sharing several examples in this podcast about my own and experiences with clients over the years. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This morning I was reading the message written by outgoing Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In it, he stated that his “parting prescription” for the American people is to cultivate a strong sense of community to help themselves and others. He added, “Relationships, service, and purpose are the time-tested triad of fulfillment that stands in contrast to wealth, fame, and power which define the modern-day triad of success.” Here are some other questions I want you to ask yourself: What is your commitment to yourself and to others close to you? Why are you focused on the things that are taking up your time? When will you begin to focus on goals that will allow you to create and leave a legacy? Whom do you trust to get you there? Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you. Motivation and Inspiration: What It Takes to Get Your Spark Back” During 2024 I went through a period where I wasn’t as motivated as I had been accustomed to being for many years. This gave me time to explore why I was feeling this way and to hopefully learn something that would help others. My inspiration to do all of the things I love in my business, including writing, creating, marketing, and mentoring was waning and I wasn’t sure why. Within a couple of months I was back on track and this is what I learned… Life isn’t easy, but then it isn’t supposed to be. Being challenged in so many ways on a regular basis makes us stronger and perhaps more appreciative and grateful for what we already have and what we know we can achieve if we believe in ourselves and have even one other person who knows we are special and tells us that as often as possible. Marie Forleo wrote a book titled “Everything Is Figureoutable” – https://ConnieLoves.me/FigureOutAble – Her precept is that if you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com and want to hear from you on this topic, or on anything else. “Merging Your Life with Your Business” as a strategy. We aren’t creating a business we need a vacation from. Instead, we’re creating a “lifestyle by design” where we have the time and financial freedom to live in a way that few people are able to, and with choices around everything we do. If you’ve met me in person, heard me on my podcast, or read any of my books, you know that I am a very positive person. No matter what situation or circumstances arises, I truly believe there will always be a positive outcome on the horizon, and sooner rather than later. But I wasn’t always this way. This is a journey that continues… My first year online was 2006, and very quickly I connected with people I’m still part of a Mastermind with in Austin, Texas. I was invited to speak at an event there a couple of years later. It was hosted by Joe Vitale and Mendhi Audlin was also there. She shared a concept she had come up with that she calls “What If… UP!” The premise is that there is truly a silver lining in everything negative that occurs. I liken this to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. My precept and general rule for life is that we can achieve anything we want and feel that we deserve. Others want to help us to achieve our goals, but many times we get in their way by telling ourselves stories that aren’t true. Mendhi’s precept aligns with mine, and a year or so after I first met her she published a book on this… “What If It All Goes Right?: Creating a New World of Peace, Prosperity & Possibility” by Mendhi Audlin reveals the secret to turning possibilities into a tangible reality. It works! https://ConnieLoves.me/WhatIfUp I’m discussing the importance of being willing to “Better Your Best” during this new year, as well as recommending that this be the year you finally embrace AI – Artificial Intelligence – for your business. I have been a student of and someone who uses AI almost daily since February of 2022, and I’m learning from experts Andy O”Bryan and Denise Wakeman in their ongoing AI Success Club. Asking “How Are You Defining Success?” Creating a business as an entrepreneur allows you to live a lifestyle by design, with both time freedom and financial freedom. Think about how you want to live each day and then take action to make it happen. Over the years I’ve changed many things, while others have remained the same. Instead of making changes just for the sake of change, think about what you could change up and what makes sense to remain at least mostly the same. Years ago, I used to put together my blog posts on a single topic, like copywriting or list building or creation digital products into a simple document that I referred to as a ‘Focus Guide’ and gave them away to my list and to my prospects. Each of these documents contained resources and an ‘About the Author’ page that helped me to build my credibility, visibility, and profitability. For the first time ever, I am recommending that you write a book about yourself, your niche topic, and how you serve others. I first did this in 2009 and now I have written and published twenty-eight full-length, non-fiction books on the topics of entrepreneurship, personal, development, and authorship. Life can be messy. Are their ways you can keep moving forward when your personal life is turning upside down? Yes! Finding joy in helping and serving others, as well as compartmentalizing what is currently going on in your life are just two of the ways to deal with change and situations outside of your control. I recommend that you choose two social media platforms to use for the sole purpose of helping your prospects find and connect with you online. My favorite is X – formerly known as Twitter, and I also use LinkedIn and YouTube as my favorite social media sites to grow my business. Please connect with me on these sites and let me know how I may best serve you as you build and grow your profitable business. Is your list of what you are willing to do longer than your list of what you don’t want to do? I recommend a mile-long “to-do” list and a daily schedule of no more than four things that you will work on each day in your business. Find a mentor who believes in you and get started with creating a lifestyle by design that you want and deserve. I’m recommending James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” – https://ConnieLoves.me/AtomicHabits – as a book to help you alleviate your fears. We all have hopes, dreams, goals, and fears regarding our life experiences. I have found that if we build up our confidence and have faith that everything will turn out in a way that will be beneficial to all, we can continue to move forward without negative effects. Having an online business requires confidence. These are some questions to ask yourself: Who will you serve? What are your prospects pain points? What’s your idea? How will it be created, and then delivered? How will you sell it online? Creating a simple product or online course is the beginning of living a lifestyle by design. Reach out to me any time at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to know more about getting started as an online entrepreneur. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My first online course back in 2006 was a simple one with three audio trainings and a workbook. Then, I began creating more sophisticated, but not more complicated courses. I’ve used the “Really Simple” branding for many courses at least 25 times, as well as using other terms and phrases based on the keywords I am optimizing for with each new course. Having your own online course on a topic you want to become known for will give you leverage to grow your business exponentially over time. It’s interesting to me that we as humans sometimes take things for granted that later on we know we should have appreciated in the moment. What I’m referring to here is having an online business you can run from home, or from anywhere in the world. There’s a window of opportunity that isn’t always open, and right now this window is wide open to everyone. A lot of it depends upon economic factors. I almost went back to graduate school two years ago to study economics, but decided against it because of the film and television writing I’m pursuing, but that’s a story for another time. Someone I work closely with had posted this quote from Richard Branson the other day: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” This does NOT apply to online business, but instead refers to starting a physical, brick and mortar business. I know several people in both of my cities who borrowed against their homes, cashed out retirement savings, and sold family heirlooms to start businesses in the community, only to go bankrupt a couple of years later. What I’m saying here is that this is the time to get your online business off the ground and up and running profitably. It’s so inexpensive in comparison, and the biggest expense I incur is what I pay mentors to guide me in the right direction. Yes, I still have a mentor and recommend you do as well. This isn’t coaching, but instead a personal relationship you’ll build over time that could lead to strategic alliance partnerships and lifelong friendships. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you want to know more about mentoring with me. The four widely accepted learning modalities (or modes) are known by the acronym VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic. They are sometimes inaccurately referred to as “learning styles” which implies that each learner has a “style” of learning that should be maximized in all learning situations. Focusing on consistency, productivity, and creativity makes sense for all online entrepreneurs in 2024. I’m also sharing some effective and time-proven strategies with you here that will make a difference in your business, as well as in your personal life experience. Each day I focus on writing, creating, marketing, and teaching/learning/mentoring. My writing began as short and simple blog posts and blossomed into more than twenty-five full-length books. My writing is my oeuvre, my body of work that is my legacy to family, friends, colleagues, and those who follow me. During 2023 I wrote and published more than 400 thousand words. This breaks down to one full-length book, Self-Directed: Inspire, Motivate, and Empower Yourself to the Greatness That Lies Within; the current book on marketing that is more than halfway written; 8 short reports on topics of interest to the people I work with online; one hundred thirty-eight blog posts on three different blogs I maintain; and 382 email messages to my online community. These are  practical strategies for effective time management, emphasizing the importance of creating a balance between work and personal life. Achieving work-life harmony requires effective time management strategies that allow you to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Here are some strategies to help you manage your time more efficiently: 1. Set Clear Priorities: Identify your most important tasks and priorities for both work and personal life. Focus on what truly matters and allocate time accordingly. 2. Use a Time Management System: Choose a time management system that works for you, whether it’s a digital tool like Todoist or Trello, or a physical planner. Organize tasks, set deadlines, and track your progress. Schedules vs To-Do Lists 3. Prioritize Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Prioritize tasks based on these categories. 4. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and tackle them during specific time blocks. This reduces the mental load of switching between different types of activities. 5. Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different activities. This includes work tasks, personal commitments, and breaks. Stick to the schedule as much as possible. 6. Learn to Say No: Be selective about taking on new commitments. Saying no when necessary helps you avoid over-committing and allows you to focus on your existing priorities. 7. Delegate When Possible: Delegate tasks that others can handle. This applies to both professional and personal responsibilities. It’s okay to ask for help. 8. Practice the Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming. 9. Limit Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce efficiency and increase stress. Complete one task before moving on to the next. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You’re starting a conversation with your emails, and building a relationship with your prospects, customers, and clients over time. I’ve been online as an entrepreneur, marketer, and writer since 2006, and while much has changed, I believe that more has remained the same. Here, I’m discussing how we marketed in those early days, and why email marketing still remains top of mind. Most recently, I’ve co-hosted an Advanced Email Marketing Conference with Ellen Finkelstein. In April of 2023, I hosted my latest live marketing event in Los Angeles, and more recently I’ve hosted my Santa Barbara Retreat for those I mentor and teach. But like everyone else, I began by attending live events, and eventually virtual events in order to find my voice, connect with other like-minded people, and learn more about building and growing my online business. Guerilla marketing is a way to drive publicity and, as a result, brand awareness by promoting using unconventional methods designed to evoke surprise, wonder, or shock. Guerrilla marketing is the creating use of novel or unconventional methods in order to boost sales or attract interest in a brand or business. These methods are often low- or no-cost and involve the widespread use of more personal interactions or through viral social media messaging. This marketing method has increased in popularity with the rise of ubiquitous mobile and connected technologies that can amplify messaging and focus on target groups of consumers. Some consumers may be more attracted by guerrilla marketing campaigns as they may be more interesting and daring, while others may be turned off because of the perceived “disruptive” aspects of this style of marketing. Please subscribe and leave me a review. And connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com. Find out more about me HERE. Becoming an online entrepreneur was the best decision I ever made. I’ve been online since 2006 and now help others all over the world to do the same or something similar. We all have times where we are feeling a little down, lost, or confused. Life isn’t easy, and no one makes it out alive! These are my recommendations for how to get back on track and feeling more happy and optimistic about your future… Write! Whether you’re already a writer or are just beginning to think about sharing your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others, writing makes sense. I write every single day and publish much of my writing as blog posts, short reports, and full-length books. Writing opens your mind to what you want in the future, by allowing you to explore the past through your memories. You can also retell and reframe your stories in a way that will serve you going forward. Start a new project! I usually create products and courses as new projects, but this can also manifest as something you build or create with your hands. I have family members on two continents that love to put together complex jigsaw puzzles. They look forward to these as a new project on a regular basis. Volunteer! Before I started my online business, I promised myself I would volunteer my time and donate money to charitable causes… as soon as I had the time and the money to do so. Once I had my own business, I realized that I had some time and a little money to do this all along. Spend time with new people! As a part of the volunteering I now do regularly, I’ve spent time with very young children, veterans, women starting over after being in a domestic violence situation, and more. This work continues to make a difference in my life. As you can see, there are many ways to get back to your “Why?” and I hope this has been helpful to you. What’s the best niche topic to cover in your blog? I know you don’t what to hear me say “It depends.” so I won’t. Lean in, and I’ll share the very best niche for you, and it’s one that is also the most profitable, will feel more like you’re just having fun, will never go out of style, and will be the one that has absolutely zero competition. Which niche topic and target audience could it possibly be? I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. I learned when I began online 17 years ago that the best niche for anyone is the one that makes your heart sing and is probably a topic you take for granted. I had been teaching school for twenty years and my students were mostly Spanish and Tagalog native speakers. I told them if they wrote just a few sentences every single day – weekends, holidays, and school breaks included – their writing would improve. Those who followed my advice excelled, while those who didn’t floundered. During all those years, I seldom wrote anything unless it was required for my work as a teacher or for my part-time work in real estate. Fast forward to 2006, and I realized not only that I needed to write in order to succeed online, but also that what I’d done with my students would apply here as well. My niche for the next eighteen months was around helping others to write, publish, market, and sell eBooks. I wrote one on real estate farming – choosing and area close to home to connect with people who may need your services – as an example and sold it on my website. Back then, you had to sell eBooks on your own websites, as Amazon had not yet entered the world of self-publishing. My niche and website became “eBook writing and marketing secrets” and this topic took me to six figures. I was learning right along with the people who were learning and buying from me. I then moved that site over to https://ConnieRagenGreen.com to make a name for myself and to branch out to other topics. The bottom line is that you must begin by sharing what you already know something about and love. Blogging is the direct path to the visibility, credibility, and profitability you wish to have in your business. In my business, every idea begins as a blog post. This is where I think and research and brainstorm what’s on my mind in the very beginning. The blog post is ground zero for what could, and many times does become a product, course or program. Blog posts, while based on your idea, can be created with original content, private label (PLR) rights content, guest content, or curated content. While I immediately share my published posts on social media as “micro content” you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours before syndicating your content on Medium. I also teach this syndication strategy in my popular and ongoing Syndication Optimization training program. Next up in your content creation and content marketing strategy is a short report, which you may sell online or give away as a lead magnet. I teach all of this in my Really Simple Short Reports training. This is what we refer to as “cornerstone” content that is extremely valuable. The final step is creating “authority content” by publishing your writing as a Kindle or paperback book to increase your visibility and build your reputation as an expert on your topic. I typically discuss time management and productivity in regards to entrepreneurs, marketers, and authors, and I’ve even co-authored a bestselling book on this topic, entitled “Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Manage Your Time to Increase Your Bottom Line” where we outline in great details the steps you may take to reach a level of optimal productivity and time management as an entrepreneur. But what about everyone else? Doesn’t every person deserve to live the lifestyle they want and deserve, where they enjoy financial freedom and the time to enjoy every moment to the fullest? Of course they do, and that’s what I’m sharing during this podcast. When I began online as a new entrepreneur in 2006, I realized immediately I would need help with technology and graphics, as these were the areas where I had no experience or talent. I bartered for these services for the first year or so, and then began to put together a team of people to support me so my business could grow. When I look back over my lifetime, I see that I have always had a team supporting me, whether it was while I worked as a classroom teacher, or in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. Even while I was growing up, I was surrounded by people who supported me, from family, friends and neighbors to teachers, clergy, and people in the community. Put together your team and watch your business grow exponentially! When it comes to your visibility as an entrepreneur, where may we find you to see what you’re doing? This expert status comes from your writing, videos and audios, and your social media presence on the most active platforms for your target audience. My three popular and active blogs are at ConnieRagenGreen.com, HugeProfitsTinyList.com, and at MondayMorningMellow.com. Credibility is about what you already know and what you are learning. We all started our online businesses as adults, so we brought our knowledge and experiences with us. It made sense for me to help people write, market, and publish eBooks in the beginning, because I had worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years prior to coming online, and was learning about marketing and self-publishing. Profitability means that you must ask “What’s for sale?” every day in your business. Create your own simple products and courses, recommend others with affiliate marketing, and look into buying the resale rights to sell other people’s products as your own like I continue to do in my own business. The final part of this information on your expert status as an entrepreneur includes productivity, consistency, and attention to detail. Get everything in place as quickly as possible, and your online business is sure to grow exponentially! During my first couple of years online, beginning in 2007 I connected with mentors Alex Mandossian and Raymond Aaron. When I inquired as to what they were doing together as strategic alliance partners, they gave me a brief explanation and told me that I was not yet ready to move up to this level. Over the next two years they helped me to grow and elevate my business and my mindset as an online entrepreneur so that I could connect with others in this way. Seek out the people and groups you wish to be involved with and show them that you have moved past tactics and on to strategies. It will make all the difference and as you uplevel everything you’re doing online in your business, your free time and disposable income will increase exponentially! When I work with people in my Incubator Mastermind Mentoring program, the goal is to move them into position to become a strategic alliance partner with me and others to share their message in a bigger way. WHY did you choose the career you started your working life with? WHY did you get married, have children, and move into your first home? WHY did you make the conscious decision to leave your career at some point and start your business? WHY do you want to be an author or entrepreneur, or coach? WHY do you get up every single day and do the work required to become more successful on an ongoing basis? Everyone must have a WHY and there are no right or wrong answers here. But if you find yourself unmotivated to work or if you find yourself procrastinating on projects, then it's time to re-examine the main reason for your business. Name Your Reason – or Your WHY – for Starting a Business Focusing on your WHY can help motivate you, so write down your reason for starting a business on a regular basis. Did you want to fill your free time? Did you want to earn some play money or contribute to the family finances? Did you want to pay the medical bills of an aging parent or a sick child? Did you want to pay for your child's higher education or private school tuition? In my case, my answer to “what's your why?” was always around having enough income to live life on my terms. Over time, I came to the realization that every choice I was making, and each time I could not do something that had meaning for me, was all related to me needing to earn a paycheck or a commission from the classroom teaching and real estate work I was involved with each day. I missed just about every family event, vacation, and other activities because I was working 60 or more hours a week in order to cover my bills and other expenses. I wasn't angry or resentful because I believed that I didn't deserve to have a better life during those decades. This all changed in 2005 when I began reading books and attending events based on self improvement and personal development principles. Writing these reasons down – no matter what they are because every person's WHY will be different – should help motivate you to work hard. You should feel driven to make your business a success. You should be willing to tackle things outside your comfort zone because you know the end result will help your business. If you're not feeling motivated, then you need to dig deeper. I worked closely with a woman who was struggling to make her online business become profitable, and she continued to tell me that she had no problems or struggles in her life, currently or during her younger years. Then, one day she told me about her granddaughter who had passed away at age twelve and the floodgates opened. We got to the bottom of things, she discovered her why, and her business grew by leaps and bounds, almost overnight! Be Open and Willing to Examine Your Inner Feelings Life is fluid and ever-changing so it stands to reason that your WHY would change over time as well. Even if you started your business because you didn't know what to do once your kids were in full day school, you can change that WHY to something more meaningful now. A mentor once shared with me that she started a service business because she was a single mom and needed to earn money to survive. She was responsible for lodging, food, and clothing for herself and her child. She didn't have anyone to rely on except herself. THIS is enough to make you cry and to hustle for work, knowing that if she wasn't working, she wasn't eating. What are you passionate about that will get you hustling? Are you passionate about a cause or charity that can benefit from your financial assistance? Do you need to pull yourself up out of financial despair? Don't be afraid to own that reason and fight for your business. This is how you will continue to get closer to understanding and recognizing the answer to “what's your why?” Don't be Afraid to Switch Business Gears to Discover Your “Why” One of my mentees admitted to me early on that even though she has been in a service business for over ten years, that she hadn't been motivated to create any classes or products as a source of passive income. She blamed her indecision on a lack of new ideas and a feeling and belief that everything she knew had already been said and done, but I questioned if it was because she didn't feel attached to her particular niche of online marketing. After some more discussion, she agreed and has since modified her services that align better with what she enjoys. I still suggested that she explore a deeper WHY but this is a step in the right direction. Plenty of businesses add or subtract products or services or modify their mission statement. If something about your business doesn't feel right, don't be afraid to make changes. I'm bestselling author and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green, and now I can confidently answer the question “What's your why?” with enthusiasm and conviction. My “why” is around the concept of helping others to achieve their goals and dreams with writing and having a profitable online business so they may follow their dreams and passions without having to do work that doesn't make their heart sing or worry about meeting all of their financial obligations with grace and ease. You can double your productivity and be success with a business, or with anything you choose to accomplish in your life, if you are willing to implement what you learn and take decisive action on a consistent basis. Many people come to me to learn how to successful and profitable as an online entrepreneur. But some of them end up saying “I already know that” and moving on to something else. I know that I am able to do more than I ever thought would be possible in my life because I am willing to learn, implement, course correct, ask questions, take massive action and keep moving forward with consistency. Others may be smarter or more knowledgeable, but if they hesitate to take action they will not achieve the results they are hoping for in their business or with anything else. As long as you are specific and intentional with what you want to achieve, you can do it all as an entrepreneur, just not all at once. And we must throw perfection out the window. I have a new saying… The more perfecter your goal, the less purfeckt your results. “Everything we do in our lives is preparing us for something that will arise in the future, even though we don’t yet know what that will be.” ~ Connie Ragen Green Our stories are the fabric of our life. A story sets you apart from everyone else, makes you unique and memorable, and is all you have when it's all said and done. When I was a young child a neighbor girl, seven or eight years old at the time, interrupted my mother in the middle of a story she was telling to ask, “Why do you have so many stories?” My mother hardly skipped a beat, informing the girl that “You'll have stories too, when you get older.” On that evening a part of me became a storyteller in training. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I was telling stories about everything from what I did in school that day to what happened in the neighborhood. I wore my storyteller's hat with pride and now I see that this one aspect of my life was preparing me for what I now do in my business and derive great joy from every single day. The word “praestabilis” is from the Latin and means outstanding, excellent, and extraordinary and this is the goal for you as you make your way in the online world. It took me until age 50 to step into the light and live an empowered life. I achieved this by leaving a job – classroom teaching – and a career as a real estate broker and appraiser to come online as an entrepreneur. I have no regrets about waiting so long, as everything unfolds once we are open to receiving it. There are three top strategies to help you move closer to an empowered life and they include… Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program. Recent posts on my three blogs are at: “Broken Compass Stories We Tell Ourselves” – https://mondaymorningmellow.com/broken-compass-story/ “The eBook That Changed My Life” – https://hugeprofitstinylist.com/ebook-that-changed-my-life/ “Marketing Secrets from Creative Sources” – https://connieragengreen.com/marketing-secrets-from-creative-sources/ Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics. Masterminding – Connecting with others for the sole purpose of reaching your full potential is crucial to life success. Find a Mastermind group to join, or start your own by inviting thought leaders to connect with you in this way. I have a group called the Incubator Mastermind that may be of interest to you. Hopefully, you can see that what I’m sharing with on each podcast will make a difference for you as you build and grow your business as an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. Make sure to think of marketing as a priority and get into the habit of sharing your best ideas and resources with the people who are on their way to becoming your raving fans! I’m always just an email away at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to connect with me. I promise to help you keep it simple while you grow your online business. Get started with your own eBook empire by learning how to write an eBook from the person who continues to guide me along this lucrative journey. Take a look at How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook…in as Little as 7 Days from expert and author Jim Edwards. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you as I share my beliefs, perceptions, and experiences as an author, online entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with you. Marketing has become the joy of my life as I continue to learn, grow, and share concepts with others. I'm bestselling author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 159 first appeared on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 159 appeared first on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.

Podcast 405 "Pen and paper will solve almost anything. Or at least start the process." - Nicholas Bate This week, I have a special episode for you about what I have discovered over the last two years from bringing pens and paper back into my productivity system. It's certainly been an eye-opener for me.    Links: Email Me | Twitter | Fac ebook | Website | Linkedin   The Hybrid Productivity Course    Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page   Script | 405 Hello, and welcome to episode 405 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  A week ago, I launched a brand new course called the Hybrid Productivity Course. The purpose of this course was to help those who have found that a digital-only approach has led to a loss of focus on what's important and a sense of extreme overwhelm and distraction.  As in most areas of life, a one-size-fits-all methodology rarely works. All humans are unique. We think differently, have different life experiences, grow up differently and experience life through many different cultures.  It stands to reason that none of us will have exactly the same needs as everyone else.  We saw this during the pandemic. Around 50% of people loved working from home. They thrived and became much more productive. The other 50% struggled, found it hard to do their work, and lost their enthusiasm and energy for it.  This highlighted the difference between extroverts and introverts. Extroverts bounce off the energy of other people. They need the bustling office environment to operate. Take that away, and they slump.  Introverts, on the other hand, thrive in the opposite conditions. Quiet spaces and solo environments are where they thrive.  I always struggled in an office environment. I found it difficult to concentrate and focus. When I began working from home in 2015, my productivity went through the roof. I suddenly had the freedom to work when I liked, where I liked and in the quiet solitude of my front living room.  One advantage of an all-digital system is that you can easily add many features to your digital tools without much thought.  I noticed this while testing Todoist's new feature, Ramble. Ramble lets you have a conversation with Todoist, and it pulls out all the things you indicate need to be done. Sounds great in theory, until you test it out.  Just a two-minute “conversation” with Ramble led to 15 tasks!  When I went back into my inbox to sort them out, I realised that the majority of those tasks were low-value, would-be-nice-to-do tasks, but realistically, there was no way I would have the time to do them.  I edited down that list of 15 to 6 tasks.  The problem is that most people will not edit these lists. It's time-consuming, and you have to think it through. Two things that are out of fashion these days, it seems. This is where I found bringing a pen and notebook back into my system really helped. It forced me to edit down my list of tasks for the day. It also made me smarter when writing my lists.  If I had five people to call today, in the digital system, I would write out all five calls independently. It didn't take long, and most of those would already be in the digital system. All I had to do was add a date.  In a paper system, it would mean writing out all those calls individually. You soon find that rather than doing that, you would write “do my calls”. Writing those three words strangely reinforced the action. All you then needed to do was to ensure that any communication tasks were correctly labelled in your digital system.  This is where the seeds of a hybrid system began to take shape.  If it were easier to collect using digital tools, then why stop doing it that way? If you were more focused when writing out a daily to-do list than using a digital to-do list, why stop doing that?  My idea was to marry the two.  This led to the development of what I call my Day Book. However, before I got there, I went back to my roots and used the Franklin Planner for eighteen months.  The strength of the Franklin Planner is in the way the daily pages are laid out. You have your daily prioritised task list on the left, your calendar for the day next to it, and, on the right page, a place to keep notes and ideas.  This means that once you have written your appointments, you can see how much time you have available to do tasks. It forces you to be realistic.  If you had seven hours of meetings and began writing out a long list of tasks, you would instantly see that you were creating an impossible day.  If you were to consider meeting overruns, the “urgent” messages and “quick questions” that will inevitably come your way that day, it's likely you won't be doing any tasks.  Yet the digital system won't show you that. All it shows you are the tasks you have dated for today.  And let's be honest, most people are adding dates to tasks, not because they need to be done that day, but because they are afraid they will forget about them or they will get lost in the system.  That's not how a to-do list is meant to work. It's meant to give you a clear indication of what needs to be done. On a day-to-day basis, that means what needs to be done today.  The act of writing down on a piece of paper the tasks that need to be done today forces you to be realistic.  When it comes to storage, though, paper is not so great. It's here where digital tools shine. You can easily store files and documents. You can keep meeting notes together in one place and create a master project note for all your projects, so everything is kept together in one convenient place.  And of course, digital's piece de resistance, search.  If you were to keep all your notes in notebooks, you would soon have notebooks all over the place, and notes would be difficult to find unless you carefully indexed every notebook you used. Perhaps not the best use of your time.  Instead, you can keep all your notes in a notes app, and allow it to use keywords, date ranges or titles to find what you need when you need it.  However, I have discovered that paper is a great planning medium. This is where I always used to struggle.  When I first began teaching, there were no such things as Evernote or Apple Notes. They didn't come along until five years after I began teaching. I therefore used my old counsel notebooks. These were what would be described as foolscap in size, slightly taller than A4, and had a royal blue cover.  Given that throughout my school and university days, I would always plan out my essays on paper, it was perfectly natural for me to make notes on paper when planning my lessons. Then we had the digital explosion. Smartphones became a thing, followed shortly afterwards by apps. I began using Evernote in 2009, and I started planning digitally.  It was certainly convenient, but I did notice I rarely went into any depth. I tried using mind-mapping software, but it didn't help.  I thought there must be something wrong with me.  Then, a couple of years ago, I began seeing studies about how our brains work differently between digital and physical tools.  The most striking studies found that when you write on paper (or a whiteboard), you activate the same areas that artists activate when creating art. This is the creative centre of your brain.  When you tap on a keyboard, you don't. Tapping is formulaic and monotonous. If you think about this, it makes perfect sense. When you handwrite, you are forming shapes. Letters are shapes. When you write via keyboard, all you are doing is tapping. There's nothing artistic about that.  This was when the penny finally dropped for me. There was nothing wrong with me! It was science.  Now, I would never consider opening up my phone or laptop to sketch out an idea. I would open a notebook.  One of my favourite ways of doing this is to grab a notebook, a few pens and a pencil and head off to a local cafe for an hour or two. I can sit in a corner and brainstorm ideas for new courses, YouTube videos and blog posts.  Since I began doing this, my productivity has improved significantly. It helped because I have fewer re-edits to do. When I sit down at the computer to write, I now have a fully planned-out structure and well-thought-through points, and I am writing the first draft much faster. It seems that planning works best on paper, yet storage and output are best digital. Again, leading to the conclusion that there is a place for both digital and analogue tools in a solid productivity system.  I saw this all in action recently. I was watching a UK Supreme Court session, where a barrister (a lawyer who speaks before a judge, not someone who makes coffee) had an iPad in front of him containing all the case files and documents. Yet his speaking notes were on paper. As he made his arguments before the judge, he marked off the points with a pencil and added notes.  The opposing barrister was also using the same tools. Her case files were on an iPad, yet as she listened to her opposite number, she was taking notes in a notebook and appeared to be adding revisions to her own speaking notes.  What's more, if we're being honest, stationery is much more fun than digital tools. Digital fonts, screens and keyboards are not really all that exciting.  But the many different types of pens, pencils, notebooks, and pencil cases at all different price ranges give you the ultimate way to make your tools truly personal.  I'm sure you already know I love fountain pens. I've been writing with them since middle school and just love the way the nib feels on a quality sheet of paper.  I remember being excited when Apple brought out the Apple Pencil. When I got one, and tried it out I was horrified. It was the worst writing experience I'd ever had. I've tried Paperlike and tested a Remarkable. Yuk! None of them comes close to the experience you get from a real pen and paper.  And so, after two years of testing, playing and refining, I came up with what I would describe as the “perfect” system. A method that marries the power of digital with analogue tools.  Digital for storage and output, paper for planning and thinking.  It works. I tested it with some of my coaching clients, and even my wife has started using it for her university studies.  What's more, it works superbly with the Time Sector System. You keep all your tasks in your digital task manager, and only when you decide to do them, you put them on paper.  What you will discover immediately is that you are no longer staring at an almost infinite list of things you could do, and instead, you see a list of genuine tasks that need to be done today. No more overwhelm, just a focused list and a realistic day.  If you are interested in learning more about this course, I will put a link in the show notes. Currently, you can get the course with the early-bird discount for just $49.95.  But if you're not interested, try using a notebook for your planning and daily task list this week. Watch what happens to your productivity.  Thank you for listening, and it just remains for me to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

Chase Warrington, Head of Operations at Doist, joined us on The Modern People Leader to break down how async-first work enables faster decision-making, stronger culture, and scalable operations. We talked about building trust without offices, the systems and rituals behind Doist's execution velocity, and why async workflows are foundational to effective AI adoption.----  Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode280Sponsor Links:

Are you ready to discover how artificial intelligence can genuinely transform the juggle of family and work life? In this inspiring episode, the Mums on Cloud Nine team welcomes Julia Druck, an AI consultant with a fascinating career journey. Julia shares her path from weapons engineer in the Royal Navy to co-founding the AI consultancy 'Serpent,' and unveils practical, real-life ways you can embrace AI, even if you think you're not techy. Julia reveals her creation of a "Family Command Centre" using user-friendly, low- and no-code AI tools, bringing calm and order to the chaos of family logistics. She and the hosts explore why now is the perfect time to get curious about AI, how to get started without fear, and how your current skills are far more transferable to the world of AI than you think. Whether you're an ambitious mum, a parent managing multiple calendars, or someone looking to upskill and relaunch your career, this episode will spark your motivation and give you tangible tools to build a life you love. Key Points in This Episode: Julia Druck's unconventional career path and how she carved out a place in the AI industry. What exactly a Family Command Centre is and how AI can solve everyday household chaos like school events, appointments and birthdays. The reality behind learning AI as an adult: free courses, bootcamps, and online resources that are actually accessible (including YouTube!). Common fears and myths about AI... and why getting hands-on is easier than it seems. How transferable skills from product management (and parenting) set you up for success in the tech world. Favourite tools and platforms for AI task management, from Lindy, Susama and Todoist to Reclaim. Top tips for time-poor parents on integrating AI solutions for home and career. Julia's Free Guide: https://mumsoncloudnine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/MUMS-on-Cloud-NINE-Podcast-AI-agent-resource.pdf  Mentioned in this episode: Lindy (No-code AI agent platform): https://www.lindy.ai/assistant  Susama: https://www.sunsama.com/  Todoist: https://www.todoist.com/  Reclaim: https://reclaim.ai/  Claude: https://claude.ai/login  Comet: https://www.perplexity.ai/comet  YouTube tutorials for Lindy AI: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lindy+ai+tutorial  Craving more inspiration and practical tips? Subscribe for weekly mindset and career guidance, and join a community of women supporting each other in relaunching careers, building confidence, and achieving fulfilment. Find Julia Druck and connect for more insights: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliadruck/  If you're ready to banish overwhelm, embrace technology, and empower yourself, this episode is your perfect starting point! For more about Mums on Cloud Nine, the Supermums programme, and our expert directory, visit: Supermums.org Championing the Ambitious Women Mindset each and every week.

You've probably heard of something called AI. It seems everyone is talking about it. The question is: how will this affect our productivity, and what can we do to ensure we are ready for the likely changes this year?  That's what I'm answering this week.  Links: Email Me | Twitter | Fac ebook | Website | Linkedin   Take the Time Sector System Course  Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 402 Hello, and welcome to episode 402 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  Unless you've had the fortune to avoid seeing the news over the last few years, you may have come across something called AI. It seems to be everywhere today.  Just yesterday, I got a big update to Evernote, and it was all about AI. Todoist, my task manager of choice, is also on board with AI with their dictation tool called “Ramble”.  All great tools, all giving us the potential to collect and organise more.  I use AI a lot myself. It helps me brainstorm ideas, create subtitles for my YouTube videos, and write the video descriptions, which I hated doing myself.  And it is a phenomenal research tool. I can import my analytics from my blog, this podcast or my YouTube videos and ask it to tell me what is resonating with my community. Then that helps me to decide what the next best content will be.  Yet, with all this, there are some downsides. One of which is that I noticed last year that many of my coaching clients were seeing an increase in the number of tasks they had in their task managers.  It wasn't until recently that I realised where many of these tasks were coming from.  Many companies are rolling out AI-supported meeting summaries. AI is particularly good at this. It listens in to the meeting and, at the end, produces a summary of what was discussed and a list of action steps to be taken following the meeting. Some of the more sophisticated versions of this will break down by who is responsible for which task.  Superb! Or is it? What I've discovered is that AI is like that annoying new recruit who wants to impress by doing far more work than is necessary. It will turn a 10-bullet-pointed summary into a 20-page report, only for the recipient to return it to a bullet-pointed summary.  It reminds me of that wonderful quote from Winston Churchill: “This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.” Yet, from a productivity perspective, what AI is doing is creating a lot of tasks. So much so that it has now been given its own term: “AI-generated work bloat”, or a less friendly version: “AI-generated Work slop”. So, what can we do to “defend” ourselves from this AI-generated work bloat? Well, there are a few things we can do that will allow us to take advantage of AI's incredible abilities, yet still keep our workloads within limits without it slowly becoming overwhelmed with a lot of “work slop”. That nicely brings me on to this week's question, and that means it's time to hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question: This week's question comes from Robert. Robert asks, Hi Carl, I haven't heard you talk much about AI. Do you have any thoughts on how to get the most out of the new AI tools without them becoming overwhelming? Hi Robert, thank you for your question.  AI is certainly causing some issues in the time management and productivity space. Yet, it is also helping many people to get better organised.  It is like all new technology. There is an initial period in which we try everything to determine where the new technology can help us most. I remember when email became a thing. There was a lot of nervousness about it initially.  I was working in a law firm at the time, and the legal profession in the UK was reluctant to adopt email, even though its benefits over snail mail were obvious. There were fears over privacy and client confidentiality. Eventually, we adopted it, and when we did, it rapidly became an instant messaging portal. Clients who sent an email began expecting an instant reply and quickly called us if they did not receive one within a few minutes.  Fortunately, we had not at that stage entered the smartphone era and were able to explain to clients that when we were out of the office, we were unable to check our emails.  However, email became the new way of communicating, and it soon created a cascade of stuff for us to process and organise, eating up more valuable time—time we didn't have then, let alone today.  I see the same thing happening with AI today. We are trying to adopt AI in so many ways. Some will stick, others will fall by the wayside in time.  It doesn't mean we should reject these new ways immediately. We are in the experimentation stage. It's the fun stage. Testing new ideas, playing with tools and seeing what works for us and what doesn't.  However, some fundamentals remain in play.  The first, and the one that will never go away, is that we only have twenty-four hours a day. We are human. We need to sleep, eat and bathe. All of which takes time out of those 24 hours.  The second is that we can only focus on one thing at a time. We have the freedom to choose what we focus on, but we can only focus on one thing.  So the question is, what will you focus on and when?  We may not be able to stop all this AI-generated work, but we can choose when to work on it. This is where categorising your work helps you choose the right things to work on.  For example, pretty much all of us will have to deal with communications, and it's a great example.  What happens if you don't respond to your emails and messages for a day? Perhaps you're travelling, or are caught up in meetings. That's right, you create a backlog.  The problem with emails and messages is that they never stop coming in, and unless you have a process and time to deal with them, you will miss deadlines and opportunities, and probably upset a lot of people. There are consequences for ignoring your messages.  The solution is to set aside time each day to deal with them. How much time will depend on how much time you have and perhaps the volume of messages that require your attention.  If all you have is twenty minutes between some meetings, take it. You're not going to get much else done. So take advantage of those twenty minutes and clear some of those messages. You may not be able to clear them all, but one is always greater than zero.  If the AI tools you use include suggestions for responses, take advantage of them for the shorter replies.  But, be careful of the longer replies that require your knowledgeable input. AI can respond to some of these, but its responses often sound a little inhuman or, worse, give the wrong information.  Always check the AI-generated responses.  AI can also organise your calendar for you. Personally, I've not had much luck with this, as it doesn't have enough variable information about me to be accurate. What I find AI does is look at what I like to do at certain times of the day and suggests I do that every day, and then fills in everything else around that.  The last time I played with this AI, it recommended I get up at 6:00 am and do my workout. Pu ha ha! I am not going to get up at 6:00 to do any exercise. I hate exercising in the morning.  To get my AI calendar to be reasonably useful, I had to spend far too much time telling it what I wanted, and I realised in the end the fastest way was for me to do it manually.  Going back to the categorisation of your work, if you categorise it by the types of work you do, you can then match your calendar to your categories.  For instance, if you were a doctor, seeing patients would largely take up most of your workday. But you will also need time to complete your prescriptions, update patient notes, respond to messages, deal with any health insurance claims, and so on.  If you don't want to be working late into the night, you will need to be disciplined with your calendar and protect time for the admin and communication tasks.  If you find AI is recommending a lot of tasks for you, from, say, meeting summaries, I recommend you first audit the list, then allocate a category to the work suggested.  Why audit the list?  Well, as I mentioned, AI is like that new recruit trying impress the boss by suggesting more work than is necessary. It will create a lot of tasks.  Your experience will tell you that a lot of those tasks will not need to be done. It's these that need to be removed.  I recently did an experiment. I asked Google's Gemini to give me a list of tasks, spread over four weeks, to start a blog.  This prompt resulted in 29 tasks! And the task of actually writing a first draft was not suggested until the start of week four.  While many of the tasks listed, such as choosing a domain to host the blog and your niche, do need to be done, in the real world, most people who want to start a blog will already know this. It's part of the thought processes that lead to deciding to start a blog. When I audited the list, I reduced it from 29 tasks down to 12. I also found I needed to move some tasks around because they weren't in a logical sequence.  I'm sure over time, AI will get better at this, but always remember that your experience about doing your job will still be better at predicting what needs to be done than AI will.  If you're using the Time Sector System, you will find that your processing naturally fits with AI's method of breaking tasks down into when you “should” be doing them.  My blog experiment allowed me, once I'd audited the list, to quickly move the tasks into the correct sector. Tasks that should be done in the first week were moved to my This Week folder; those for the second week were moved to my Next Week folder; and everything else was moved to my This Month folder.  One of the benefits of using the Time Sector System with AI-generated tasks is that as you are simultaneously deciding when you will do the tasks. You retain the all-important human agency, deciding what is done and when.  But there's one more benefit of the Time Sector System that will help you. That is your weekly limit.  If you have taken the course, you may remember the lesson on capping your weekly tasks to your known limit.  This is where you find the maximum number of tasks you can realistically do in any one week. This number does not include your routines or other recurring low-value tasks. Just the important ones. But we all have a limit.  For me, that number is thirty. If my This Week folder is higher than 30 at the start of the week, I know I am going to struggle to complete my tasks that week. I either need to go back into my This Week folder and remove some of the less urgent tasks or cancel some of my meetings.  This teaches you the vital skills of auditing and prioritisation. Skills you will need in the AI world. It is what will separate us from the AI tools being used.  However, one good thing about AI-generated meeting summaries is that you have a record of the meeting that can be placed inside your meeting notes for projects and teams without any editing.  The workflow I use with these is to use Todoist's brilliant copy/paste feature. Here you can copy a list of tasks and paste them all into your inbox in a single click.  However, if there are a lot of them, I create a temporary project folder for them first, and then, before I move the tasks to their rightful place, I audit the list. Remove tasks that are not relevant, or that I don't need to do, and then move them to the right time sector.  If you don't use Todoist, you can do this with the original meeting summary. Audit, remove and then move the tasks you need to do into the correct time sector.  (A quick heads-up, I have a YouTube video coming out next week that demonstrates this.) So there you go, Robert. It's still early days, and we are very much in the experimentation period with AI. We're testing ways to see how it can help us with our work. This is consequently creating a lot of tasks.  As long as you are auditing these tasks, following the principles of COD, and using the Time Sector System to manage your work, you will be fine. Things will remain manageable and exciting at the same time.  We don't know what the future holds, but your experience and skills will see you through, I can promise you.  Thank you, Robert, for your question. And if you haven't taken the Time Sector System course yet, the all-new edition is now available and can be taken in less than two hours. Look at taking that course as your antidote to the AI-generated work bloat we are all beginning to experience.  Thank you for listening, and it just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

Welcome to Episode 158 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing Welcome to Episode #158 of “Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing” In this episode,the topic is “Mapping Out the year 2026 in a custom, world-class learning curriculum… plus tools to keep me consistently motivated and in excellence all year. I highly recommend you do something similar for your life and business, and I’m sharing the details of exactly how to do it within this podcast. I am sharing a live session of my “Really Simple Authority Blogging” ongoing training course with you and know you will benefit from the marketing strategies I am sharing and teaching here. Be sure to connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com or on X at https://x.com/ConnieGreen so I may serve you in the areas where my help could make a huge difference in your results. I’m going to share with you how much fun I’m having with creating simple courses using AI (Artificial Intelligence) in about 30 minutes. I know you can do the same thing. Keep it simple, and add the short course you create to a page on your existing website/blog. In this episode I’m discussing how to use keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow your business. Your prospects and future clients, customers, and colleagues are waiting to connect with you, but if they can’t find you online it will never happen. Make it simple for your target audience to find you by using the keywords and phrases they are most likely to be searching for on Google, Bing, and the other search engines. The Power and Gift of Change”- We are all changing throughout each day, and I think we must embrace this change in order to grow and move forward. Changing can take many forms, and if you look back through your life you will come to understand that you are not the same person you were even a year ago. Here is a quote about this you may resonate with… “Growth lives outside the comfort zone. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably doing it right.” ~ Marie Forleo I believe that our businesses are based on the concept of serving others. When you start on online (or even a brick and mortar) business, your goal is to serve others with what you know and to benefit in multiple ways, including by earning an excellent income. I’m sharing several examples in this podcast about my own and experiences with clients over the years. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This morning I was reading the message written by outgoing Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In it, he stated that his “parting prescription” for the American people is to cultivate a strong sense of community to help themselves and others. He added, “Relationships, service, and purpose are the time-tested triad of fulfillment that stands in contrast to wealth, fame, and power which define the modern-day triad of success.” Here are some other questions I want you to ask yourself: What is your commitment to yourself and to others close to you? Why are you focused on the things that are taking up your time? When will you begin to focus on goals that will allow you to create and leave a legacy? Whom do you trust to get you there? Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you. Motivation and Inspiration: What It Takes to Get Your Spark Back” During 2024 I went through a period where I wasn’t as motivated as I had been accustomed to being for many years. This gave me time to explore why I was feeling this way and to hopefully learn something that would help others. My inspiration to do all of the things I love in my business, including writing, creating, marketing, and mentoring was waning and I wasn’t sure why. Within a couple of months I was back on track and this is what I learned… Life isn’t easy, but then it isn’t supposed to be. Being challenged in so many ways on a regular basis makes us stronger and perhaps more appreciative and grateful for what we already have and what we know we can achieve if we believe in ourselves and have even one other person who knows we are special and tells us that as often as possible. Marie Forleo wrote a book titled “Everything Is Figureoutable” – https://ConnieLoves.me/FigureOutAble – Her precept is that if you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com and want to hear from you on this topic, or on anything else. “Merging Your Life with Your Business” as a strategy. We aren’t creating a business we need a vacation from. Instead, we’re creating a “lifestyle by design” where we have the time and financial freedom to live in a way that few people are able to, and with choices around everything we do. If you’ve met me in person, heard me on my podcast, or read any of my books, you know that I am a very positive person. No matter what situation or circumstances arises, I truly believe there will always be a positive outcome on the horizon, and sooner rather than later. But I wasn’t always this way. This is a journey that continues… My first year online was 2006, and very quickly I connected with people I’m still part of a Mastermind with in Austin, Texas. I was invited to speak at an event there a couple of years later. It was hosted by Joe Vitale and Mendhi Audlin was also there. She shared a concept she had come up with that she calls “What If… UP!” The premise is that there is truly a silver lining in everything negative that occurs. I liken this to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. My precept and general rule for life is that we can achieve anything we want and feel that we deserve. Others want to help us to achieve our goals, but many times we get in their way by telling ourselves stories that aren’t true. Mendhi’s precept aligns with mine, and a year or so after I first met her she published a book on this… “What If It All Goes Right?: Creating a New World of Peace, Prosperity & Possibility” by Mendhi Audlin reveals the secret to turning possibilities into a tangible reality. It works! https://ConnieLoves.me/WhatIfUp I’m discussing the importance of being willing to “Better Your Best” during this new year, as well as recommending that this be the year you finally embrace AI – Artificial Intelligence – for your business. I have been a student of and someone who uses AI almost daily since February of 2022, and I’m learning from experts Andy O”Bryan and Denise Wakeman in their ongoing AI Success Club. Asking “How Are You Defining Success?” Creating a business as an entrepreneur allows you to live a lifestyle by design, with both time freedom and financial freedom. Think about how you want to live each day and then take action to make it happen. Over the years I’ve changed many things, while others have remained the same. Instead of making changes just for the sake of change, think about what you could change up and what makes sense to remain at least mostly the same. Years ago, I used to put together my blog posts on a single topic, like copywriting or list building or creation digital products into a simple document that I referred to as a ‘Focus Guide’ and gave them away to my list and to my prospects. Each of these documents contained resources and an ‘About the Author’ page that helped me to build my credibility, visibility, and profitability. For the first time ever, I am recommending that you write a book about yourself, your niche topic, and how you serve others. I first did this in 2009 and now I have written and published twenty-eight full-length, non-fiction books on the topics of entrepreneurship, personal, development, and authorship. Life can be messy. Are their ways you can keep moving forward when your personal life is turning upside down? Yes! Finding joy in helping and serving others, as well as compartmentalizing what is currently going on in your life are just two of the ways to deal with change and situations outside of your control. I recommend that you choose two social media platforms to use for the sole purpose of helping your prospects find and connect with you online. My favorite is X – formerly known as Twitter, and I also use LinkedIn and YouTube as my favorite social media sites to grow my business. Please connect with me on these sites and let me know how I may best serve you as you build and grow your profitable business. Is your list of what you are willing to do longer than your list of what you don’t want to do? I recommend a mile-long “to-do” list and a daily schedule of no more than four things that you will work on each day in your business. Find a mentor who believes in you and get started with creating a lifestyle by design that you want and deserve. I’m recommending James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” – https://ConnieLoves.me/AtomicHabits – as a book to help you alleviate your fears. We all have hopes, dreams, goals, and fears regarding our life experiences. I have found that if we build up our confidence and have faith that everything will turn out in a way that will be beneficial to all, we can continue to move forward without negative effects. Having an online business requires confidence. These are some questions to ask yourself: Who will you serve? What are your prospects pain points? What’s your idea? How will it be created, and then delivered? How will you sell it online? Creating a simple product or online course is the beginning of living a lifestyle by design. Reach out to me any time at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to know more about getting started as an online entrepreneur. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My first online course back in 2006 was a simple one with three audio trainings and a workbook. Then, I began creating more sophisticated, but not more complicated courses. I’ve used the “Really Simple” branding for many courses at least 25 times, as well as using other terms and phrases based on the keywords I am optimizing for with each new course. Having your own online course on a topic you want to become known for will give you leverage to grow your business exponentially over time. It’s interesting to me that we as humans sometimes take things for granted that later on we know we should have appreciated in the moment. What I’m referring to here is having an online business you can run from home, or from anywhere in the world. There’s a window of opportunity that isn’t always open, and right now this window is wide open to everyone. A lot of it depends upon economic factors. I almost went back to graduate school two years ago to study economics, but decided against it because of the film and television writing I’m pursuing, but that’s a story for another time. Someone I work closely with had posted this quote from Richard Branson the other day: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” This does NOT apply to online business, but instead refers to starting a physical, brick and mortar business. I know several people in both of my cities who borrowed against their homes, cashed out retirement savings, and sold family heirlooms to start businesses in the community, only to go bankrupt a couple of years later. What I’m saying here is that this is the time to get your online business off the ground and up and running profitably. It’s so inexpensive in comparison, and the biggest expense I incur is what I pay mentors to guide me in the right direction. Yes, I still have a mentor and recommend you do as well. This isn’t coaching, but instead a personal relationship you’ll build over time that could lead to strategic alliance partnerships and lifelong friendships. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you want to know more about mentoring with me. The four widely accepted learning modalities (or modes) are known by the acronym VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic. They are sometimes inaccurately referred to as “learning styles” which implies that each learner has a “style” of learning that should be maximized in all learning situations. Focusing on consistency, productivity, and creativity makes sense for all online entrepreneurs in 2024. I’m also sharing some effective and time-proven strategies with you here that will make a difference in your business, as well as in your personal life experience. Each day I focus on writing, creating, marketing, and teaching/learning/mentoring. My writing began as short and simple blog posts and blossomed into more than twenty-five full-length books. My writing is my oeuvre, my body of work that is my legacy to family, friends, colleagues, and those who follow me. During 2023 I wrote and published more than 400 thousand words. This breaks down to one full-length book, Self-Directed: Inspire, Motivate, and Empower Yourself to the Greatness That Lies Within; the current book on marketing that is more than halfway written; 8 short reports on topics of interest to the people I work with online; one hundred thirty-eight blog posts on three different blogs I maintain; and 382 email messages to my online community. These are  practical strategies for effective time management, emphasizing the importance of creating a balance between work and personal life. Achieving work-life harmony requires effective time management strategies that allow you to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Here are some strategies to help you manage your time more efficiently: 1. Set Clear Priorities: Identify your most important tasks and priorities for both work and personal life. Focus on what truly matters and allocate time accordingly. 2. Use a Time Management System: Choose a time management system that works for you, whether it’s a digital tool like Todoist or Trello, or a physical planner. Organize tasks, set deadlines, and track your progress. Schedules vs To-Do Lists 3. Prioritize Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Prioritize tasks based on these categories. 4. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and tackle them during specific time blocks. This reduces the mental load of switching between different types of activities. 5. Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different activities. This includes work tasks, personal commitments, and breaks. Stick to the schedule as much as possible. 6. Learn to Say No: Be selective about taking on new commitments. Saying no when necessary helps you avoid over-committing and allows you to focus on your existing priorities. 7. Delegate When Possible: Delegate tasks that others can handle. This applies to both professional and personal responsibilities. It’s okay to ask for help. 8. Practice the Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming. 9. Limit Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce efficiency and increase stress. Complete one task before moving on to the next. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You’re starting a conversation with your emails, and building a relationship with your prospects, customers, and clients over time. I’ve been online as an entrepreneur, marketer, and writer since 2006, and while much has changed, I believe that more has remained the same. Here, I’m discussing how we marketed in those early days, and why email marketing still remains top of mind. Most recently, I’ve co-hosted an Advanced Email Marketing Conference with Ellen Finkelstein. In April of 2023, I hosted my latest live marketing event in Los Angeles, and more recently I’ve hosted my Santa Barbara Retreat for those I mentor and teach. But like everyone else, I began by attending live events, and eventually virtual events in order to find my voice, connect with other like-minded people, and learn more about building and growing my online business. Guerilla marketing is a way to drive publicity and, as a result, brand awareness by promoting using unconventional methods designed to evoke surprise, wonder, or shock. Guerrilla marketing is the creating use of novel or unconventional methods in order to boost sales or attract interest in a brand or business. These methods are often low- or no-cost and involve the widespread use of more personal interactions or through viral social media messaging. This marketing method has increased in popularity with the rise of ubiquitous mobile and connected technologies that can amplify messaging and focus on target groups of consumers. Some consumers may be more attracted by guerrilla marketing campaigns as they may be more interesting and daring, while others may be turned off because of the perceived “disruptive” aspects of this style of marketing. Please subscribe and leave me a review. And connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com. Find out more about me HERE. Becoming an online entrepreneur was the best decision I ever made. I’ve been online since 2006 and now help others all over the world to do the same or something similar. We all have times where we are feeling a little down, lost, or confused. Life isn’t easy, and no one makes it out alive! These are my recommendations for how to get back on track and feeling more happy and optimistic about your future… Write! Whether you’re already a writer or are just beginning to think about sharing your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others, writing makes sense. I write every single day and publish much of my writing as blog posts, short reports, and full-length books. Writing opens your mind to what you want in the future, by allowing you to explore the past through your memories. You can also retell and reframe your stories in a way that will serve you going forward. Start a new project! I usually create products and courses as new projects, but this can also manifest as something you build or create with your hands. I have family members on two continents that love to put together complex jigsaw puzzles. They look forward to these as a new project on a regular basis. Volunteer! Before I started my online business, I promised myself I would volunteer my time and donate money to charitable causes… as soon as I had the time and the money to do so. Once I had my own business, I realized that I had some time and a little money to do this all along. Spend time with new people! As a part of the volunteering I now do regularly, I’ve spent time with very young children, veterans, women starting over after being in a domestic violence situation, and more. This work continues to make a difference in my life. As you can see, there are many ways to get back to your “Why?” and I hope this has been helpful to you. What’s the best niche topic to cover in your blog? I know you don’t what to hear me say “It depends.” so I won’t. Lean in, and I’ll share the very best niche for you, and it’s one that is also the most profitable, will feel more like you’re just having fun, will never go out of style, and will be the one that has absolutely zero competition. Which niche topic and target audience could it possibly be? I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. I learned when I began online 17 years ago that the best niche for anyone is the one that makes your heart sing and is probably a topic you take for granted. I had been teaching school for twenty years and my students were mostly Spanish and Tagalog native speakers. I told them if they wrote just a few sentences every single day – weekends, holidays, and school breaks included – their writing would improve. Those who followed my advice excelled, while those who didn’t floundered. During all those years, I seldom wrote anything unless it was required for my work as a teacher or for my part-time work in real estate. Fast forward to 2006, and I realized not only that I needed to write in order to succeed online, but also that what I’d done with my students would apply here as well. My niche for the next eighteen months was around helping others to write, publish, market, and sell eBooks. I wrote one on real estate farming – choosing and area close to home to connect with people who may need your services – as an example and sold it on my website. Back then, you had to sell eBooks on your own websites, as Amazon had not yet entered the world of self-publishing. My niche and website became “eBook writing and marketing secrets” and this topic took me to six figures. I was learning right along with the people who were learning and buying from me. I then moved that site over to https://ConnieRagenGreen.com to make a name for myself and to branch out to other topics. The bottom line is that you must begin by sharing what you already know something about and love. Blogging is the direct path to the visibility, credibility, and profitability you wish to have in your business. In my business, every idea begins as a blog post. This is where I think and research and brainstorm what’s on my mind in the very beginning. The blog post is ground zero for what could, and many times does become a product, course or program. Blog posts, while based on your idea, can be created with original content, private label (PLR) rights content, guest content, or curated content. While I immediately share my published posts on social media as “micro content” you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours before syndicating your content on Medium. I also teach this syndication strategy in my popular and ongoing Syndication Optimization training program. Next up in your content creation and content marketing strategy is a short report, which you may sell online or give away as a lead magnet. I teach all of this in my Really Simple Short Reports training. This is what we refer to as “cornerstone” content that is extremely valuable. The final step is creating “authority content” by publishing your writing as a Kindle or paperback book to increase your visibility and build your reputation as an expert on your topic. I typically discuss time management and productivity in regards to entrepreneurs, marketers, and authors, and I’ve even co-authored a bestselling book on this topic, entitled “Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Manage Your Time to Increase Your Bottom Line” where we outline in great details the steps you may take to reach a level of optimal productivity and time management as an entrepreneur. But what about everyone else? Doesn’t every person deserve to live the lifestyle they want and deserve, where they enjoy financial freedom and the time to enjoy every moment to the fullest? Of course they do, and that’s what I’m sharing during this podcast. When I began online as a new entrepreneur in 2006, I realized immediately I would need help with technology and graphics, as these were the areas where I had no experience or talent. I bartered for these services for the first year or so, and then began to put together a team of people to support me so my business could grow. When I look back over my lifetime, I see that I have always had a team supporting me, whether it was while I worked as a classroom teacher, or in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. Even while I was growing up, I was surrounded by people who supported me, from family, friends and neighbors to teachers, clergy, and people in the community. Put together your team and watch your business grow exponentially! When it comes to your visibility as an entrepreneur, where may we find you to see what you’re doing? This expert status comes from your writing, videos and audios, and your social media presence on the most active platforms for your target audience. My three popular and active blogs are at ConnieRagenGreen.com, HugeProfitsTinyList.com, and at MondayMorningMellow.com. Credibility is about what you already know and what you are learning. We all started our online businesses as adults, so we brought our knowledge and experiences with us. It made sense for me to help people write, market, and publish eBooks in the beginning, because I had worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years prior to coming online, and was learning about marketing and self-publishing. Profitability means that you must ask “What’s for sale?” every day in your business. Create your own simple products and courses, recommend others with affiliate marketing, and look into buying the resale rights to sell other people’s products as your own like I continue to do in my own business. The final part of this information on your expert status as an entrepreneur includes productivity, consistency, and attention to detail. Get everything in place as quickly as possible, and your online business is sure to grow exponentially! During my first couple of years online, beginning in 2007 I connected with mentors Alex Mandossian and Raymond Aaron. When I inquired as to what they were doing together as strategic alliance partners, they gave me a brief explanation and told me that I was not yet ready to move up to this level. Over the next two years they helped me to grow and elevate my business and my mindset as an online entrepreneur so that I could connect with others in this way. Seek out the people and groups you wish to be involved with and show them that you have moved past tactics and on to strategies. It will make all the difference and as you uplevel everything you’re doing online in your business, your free time and disposable income will increase exponentially! When I work with people in my Incubator Mastermind Mentoring program, the goal is to move them into position to become a strategic alliance partner with me and others to share their message in a bigger way. WHY did you choose the career you started your working life with? WHY did you get married, have children, and move into your first home? WHY did you make the conscious decision to leave your career at some point and start your business? WHY do you want to be an author or entrepreneur, or coach? WHY do you get up every single day and do the work required to become more successful on an ongoing basis? Everyone must have a WHY and there are no right or wrong answers here. But if you find yourself unmotivated to work or if you find yourself procrastinating on projects, then it's time to re-examine the main reason for your business. Name Your Reason – or Your WHY – for Starting a Business Focusing on your WHY can help motivate you, so write down your reason for starting a business on a regular basis. Did you want to fill your free time? Did you want to earn some play money or contribute to the family finances? Did you want to pay the medical bills of an aging parent or a sick child? Did you want to pay for your child's higher education or private school tuition? In my case, my answer to “what's your why?” was always around having enough income to live life on my terms. Over time, I came to the realization that every choice I was making, and each time I could not do something that had meaning for me, was all related to me needing to earn a paycheck or a commission from the classroom teaching and real estate work I was involved with each day. I missed just about every family event, vacation, and other activities because I was working 60 or more hours a week in order to cover my bills and other expenses. I wasn't angry or resentful because I believed that I didn't deserve to have a better life during those decades. This all changed in 2005 when I began reading books and attending events based on self improvement and personal development principles. Writing these reasons down – no matter what they are because every person's WHY will be different – should help motivate you to work hard. You should feel driven to make your business a success. You should be willing to tackle things outside your comfort zone because you know the end result will help your business. If you're not feeling motivated, then you need to dig deeper. I worked closely with a woman who was struggling to make her online business become profitable, and she continued to tell me that she had no problems or struggles in her life, currently or during her younger years. Then, one day she told me about her granddaughter who had passed away at age twelve and the floodgates opened. We got to the bottom of things, she discovered her why, and her business grew by leaps and bounds, almost overnight! Be Open and Willing to Examine Your Inner Feelings Life is fluid and ever-changing so it stands to reason that your WHY would change over time as well. Even if you started your business because you didn't know what to do once your kids were in full day school, you can change that WHY to something more meaningful now. A mentor once shared with me that she started a service business because she was a single mom and needed to earn money to survive. She was responsible for lodging, food, and clothing for herself and her child. She didn't have anyone to rely on except herself. THIS is enough to make you cry and to hustle for work, knowing that if she wasn't working, she wasn't eating. What are you passionate about that will get you hustling? Are you passionate about a cause or charity that can benefit from your financial assistance? Do you need to pull yourself up out of financial despair? Don't be afraid to own that reason and fight for your business. This is how you will continue to get closer to understanding and recognizing the answer to “what's your why?” Don't be Afraid to Switch Business Gears to Discover Your “Why” One of my mentees admitted to me early on that even though she has been in a service business for over ten years, that she hadn't been motivated to create any classes or products as a source of passive income. She blamed her indecision on a lack of new ideas and a feeling and belief that everything she knew had already been said and done, but I questioned if it was because she didn't feel attached to her particular niche of online marketing. After some more discussion, she agreed and has since modified her services that align better with what she enjoys. I still suggested that she explore a deeper WHY but this is a step in the right direction. Plenty of businesses add or subtract products or services or modify their mission statement. If something about your business doesn't feel right, don't be afraid to make changes. I'm bestselling author and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green, and now I can confidently answer the question “What's your why?” with enthusiasm and conviction. My “why” is around the concept of helping others to achieve their goals and dreams with writing and having a profitable online business so they may follow their dreams and passions without having to do work that doesn't make their heart sing or worry about meeting all of their financial obligations with grace and ease. You can double your productivity and be success with a business, or with anything you choose to accomplish in your life, if you are willing to implement what you learn and take decisive action on a consistent basis. Many people come to me to learn how to successful and profitable as an online entrepreneur. But some of them end up saying “I already know that” and moving on to something else. I know that I am able to do more than I ever thought would be possible in my life because I am willing to learn, implement, course correct, ask questions, take massive action and keep moving forward with consistency. Others may be smarter or more knowledgeable, but if they hesitate to take action they will not achieve the results they are hoping for in their business or with anything else. As long as you are specific and intentional with what you want to achieve, you can do it all as an entrepreneur, just not all at once. And we must throw perfection out the window. I have a new saying… The more perfecter your goal, the less purfeckt your results. “Everything we do in our lives is preparing us for something that will arise in the future, even though we don’t yet know what that will be.” ~ Connie Ragen Green Our stories are the fabric of our life. A story sets you apart from everyone else, makes you unique and memorable, and is all you have when it's all said and done. When I was a young child a neighbor girl, seven or eight years old at the time, interrupted my mother in the middle of a story she was telling to ask, “Why do you have so many stories?” My mother hardly skipped a beat, informing the girl that “You'll have stories too, when you get older.” On that evening a part of me became a storyteller in training. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I was telling stories about everything from what I did in school that day to what happened in the neighborhood. I wore my storyteller's hat with pride and now I see that this one aspect of my life was preparing me for what I now do in my business and derive great joy from every single day. The word “praestabilis” is from the Latin and means outstanding, excellent, and extraordinary and this is the goal for you as you make your way in the online world. It took me until age 50 to step into the light and live an empowered life. I achieved this by leaving a job – classroom teaching – and a career as a real estate broker and appraiser to come online as an entrepreneur. I have no regrets about waiting so long, as everything unfolds once we are open to receiving it. There are three top strategies to help you move closer to an empowered life and they include… Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program. Recent posts on my three blogs are at: “Broken Compass Stories We Tell Ourselves” – https://mondaymorningmellow.com/broken-compass-story/ “The eBook That Changed My Life” – https://hugeprofitstinylist.com/ebook-that-changed-my-life/ “Marketing Secrets from Creative Sources” – https://connieragengreen.com/marketing-secrets-from-creative-sources/ Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics. Masterminding – Connecting with others for the sole purpose of reaching your full potential is crucial to life success. Find a Mastermind group to join, or start your own by inviting thought leaders to connect with you in this way. I have a group called the Incubator Mastermind that may be of interest to you. Hopefully, you can see that what I’m sharing with on each podcast will make a difference for you as you build and grow your business as an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. Make sure to think of marketing as a priority and get into the habit of sharing your best ideas and resources with the people who are on their way to becoming your raving fans! I’m always just an email away at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to connect with me. I promise to help you keep it simple while you grow your online business. Get started with your own eBook empire by learning how to write an eBook from the person who continues to guide me along this lucrative journey. Take a look at How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook…in as Little as 7 Days from expert and author Jim Edwards. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you as I share my beliefs, perceptions, and experiences as an author, online entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with you. Marketing has become the joy of my life as I continue to learn, grow, and share concepts with others. I'm bestselling author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 158 first appeared on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 158 appeared first on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.

Some tools are essential to being a confident Christian creator, but what should you pay for and what can you go without?In this episode, we share the tools and apps that we found worth the investment even when budgets were tight in our creator business. You'll hear which apps have a high return on investment in both the personal and professional areas of your life, so that you spend your money in the right areas. Some of these apps / tools contain affiliate links and we do receive commission if you purchase - as always, we are proud to recommend apps and tools that we use and trust. RECOMMENDED APPS / CREATOR TOOLS in this episodeStreaks (Apple) https://streaksapp.com/Todoist - https://todoist.comClay https://godandgigs.com/clayRefresh.me https://godandgigs.com/refreshCanva Pro https://canva.comHurdlr https://godandgigs.com/hurdlrKit https://godandgigs.com/kitNav.comMeetEdgar https://godandgigs.com/meetedgarRiverside https://godandgigs.com/riversideTap to send us a text! Support the showJoin our Creative Community In our 360 Membership, you get focused encouragement, guidance, and training on how to thrive as a faith-focused creative. Joining gives you access to our exclusive app, workshops and community conversations, as we change from being creatively confused to creatively confident! GodandGigs.com/membership PODCAST MERCHGet God and Gigs themed gear, clothing and accessories HERE! GOT VALUE FROM THIS PODCAST? If so, please share your: TIME: Send this episode to someone who you know would enjoy it TALENT: Email your art or music to add to our community to allen@godandgigs.com TREASURE: Tap HERE to help support God and Gigs with a donation! Want to be a guest on The God and Gigs Show? Send us a message on PodMatch, here!

Send us a textSo this might be one of my favorite podcasts to record. The reason is that it's not only the year in review, but it's also my first couple's podcast. To make it even more interesting, the first couple consists of Mia and me, & we discuss our relationship, my ups and downs of 2025, & some insights about our lives and experiences over this year. The best part…I unveil the theme for 2026. These topics and many more on another episode of ThePass. #PassTheMessage #ThePassBTPod #pod4popsMusic for Intro & Outro:Tanya ChinaLinks:Bagby Referral CodeBrick App 10% Off (Promo Code BRYAN55833)Ono Affiliate link (code BryanTaylor)Bullet Journal Link (10% Off with code BRYANBUJO)10% Discount from AnkerPeachie Clean RVA988 Suicide & Crisis Line Bryan's NewsletterAmazon Affiliate LinkYouTube Playlist for thePass PodcastBuzzsrpout Follow PageRode PodMicSports SubstackTubi Video FailsTopics within the show:Relationship with GodRelationship shifts (people moving around in your lifeNew VisionTo-do list…tech (Todoist vs. Things)September (the beginning of the transition)Promotion (from Associate Software Engineer to Software Engineer)Asking for help (realizing I can't do it on my own)Celebrating my birthday (2nd birthday without dad)September 6th (R&B Festival AND first day texting Mia)Ironclad (first date in person)Year 1 with the Car (BT)Loooooooong talk (heavy unpack)Constant RefliectionsLearning to give yourself graceNot being hard on yourselfMeeting your person & being happyVision/Theme for 2026Pass the Message Bullet Journal 10% off (BRYANBUJO)Join the bullet journal community to start getting your organization workflow on track. Brick AccessoryUse promo code BRYANBRICK to get 10% off and start to learn to be more free w/o your phone. Bagby BrandGet 10% off Bagby Accessories to reduce your attachment to technology & connection to life.

2:03:18 – Frank in New Jersey, plus the Other Side. Topics include: Things are a bit discombobulated at the moment, new dishwasher, table lost in mail, building the console, Dopapod, appliance madness, doing the dishes by hand, Todoist, Hobosesh, Onsug Radio Shuffle Mode, building the table, finagle the wires, Wholier – Multi for Plant-Based People, Contac Cold […]

2:03:18 – Frank in New Jersey, plus the Other Side. Topics include: Things are a bit discombobulated at the moment, new dishwasher, table lost in mail, building the console, Dopapod, appliance madness, doing the dishes by hand, Todoist, Hobosesh, Onsug Radio Shuffle Mode, building the table, finagle the wires, Wholier – Multi for Plant-Based People, Contac Cold […]

About This Episode  In this episode of The Future of Work® Podcast, host Frank Cottle is joined by Nadia Vatalidis, Head of People at Doist—the globally recognized company behind Todoist and Twist. With a decade of experience scaling distributed teams at GitLab, Remote.com, and now Doist, Nadia brings deep expertise on what it really takes to build a high-performing, remote-first company. Together, they explore the strategic decisions behind global hiring, equitable compensation frameworks, time zone productivity, employee security, and the cultural strengths of distributed work.  Whether you're a founder, team leader, or HR exec navigating the complexities of remote hiring or distributed team design, this episode is a roadmap to getting it right. Learn exactly why remote-first is a mindset shaping the future of work. 

Our most recent Office Hour has another engaging discussion of GTD and productivity. We shared "ah ha" moments about context-based lists and making the weekly review easier. We considered how much the higher horizons need to be detailed out (or not). And we had plenty of tool talk about Google apps, Nirvana, Todoist, paper, and the search for a perfect app. You can watch a video version of this Office Hour from August 2025 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things GTD. Join GTD practitioners from around the world in learning, sharing, and developing the skills for stress-free productivity. Sign up for a free guest pass Learn about membership options Knowing how to get the right things done is a key to success. It's easy to get distracted and overwhelmed. Stay focused and increase productivity with GTD Connect—a subscription-based online learning center from the David Allen Company. GTD Connect gives you access to a wealth of multimedia content designed to help you stay on track and deepen your awareness of principles you can also learn in GTD courses, coaching, and by reading the Getting Things Done book. You'll also get the support and encouragement of a thriving global community of people you won't find anywhere else. If you already know you'd like to join, click here to choose from monthly or annual options. If you'd like to try GTD Connect free for 14 days, read on for what's included and how to get your free trial. During your 14-day free trial, you will have access to: Recorded webinars with David Allen & the certified coaches and trainers on a wide range of productivity topics GTD Getting Started & Refresher Series to reinforce the fundamentals you may have learned in a GTD course, coaching, or book Extensive audio, video, and document library Slice of GTD Life series to see how others are making GTD stick David Allen's exclusive interviews with people in his network all over the world Lively members-only discussion forums sharing ideas, tips, and tricks Note: GTD Connect is designed to reinforce your learning, and we also recommend that you take a course, get individual coaching, or read the Getting Things Done book. Ready to start your free trial?

"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." That's a famous quote from Groucho Marx and encapsulates perfectly what this episode is about You can subscribe to this podcast on:  Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | TUNEIN Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin Join the Time And Life Mastery Programme here. Use the coupon code: codisgreat to get 50% off. Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Time Sector System 5th Year Anniversary The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 390 Hello, and welcome to episode 390 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  I've been coaching people one-on-one for seven years, and in that time, I picked up some ideas that, when adopted by clients, almost always guarantee they will transform their time management and productivity.  None of these ideas is revolutionary, which isn't surprising since people have long struggled with time management and productivity issues.  Our attitude to time and the expectations of others has changed, but the amount of time we have hasn't.  Technology, rather than helping us to do more in less time, has elevated the amount we are expected to do.  Fifty years ago, we might have received thirty letters; today, technology has elevated the number of digital letters and messages we receive into the hundreds. And while we may be quicker at responding, we're not realistically able to respond to hundreds of emails and messages each day and still produce work.  (Even though I know a number of you are trying) It goes back to what I wrote and spoke about two or three years ago, fashions may change, but the principles don't.  AI and ChatGPT are all the rage today. If you've gone down that rabbit hole, you will have been blown away by what it can do. It's incredible.  Yet what is it doing? It is making some parts of our work faster. Yet, most people still don't have enough time to do all their work. What's happening?  Well, telling everyone that you can now produce a sales review presentation in less than twenty minutes with the help of ChatGPT means you are now expected to create more presentations.  That sales review presentation may have taken you two days before, but now, if you can do it in twenty minutes, boom! Your boss can give you more work to do!  So what are the traits, best practices and ideas that do work that the people who have seen a massive increase in their time management and productivity follow?  Well, that's the subject of this week's question. And that means it's time for me to hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question. This week's question comes from Lauren. Lauren asks, “Hi Carl, I know you have been coaching people for a long time, and I am curious to know what the most productive people you meet do that is different from those less successful at it.”  Hi Lauren, thank you for your question.  As I eluded to, the most productive people I've coached follow principles, not fashions, and are ruthless with their time allocation.  Those principles are to collect everything, process what you gathered, eliminate unnecessary things, and allocate time for doing what's left.  But it goes a little deeper than that.  First, you need to know what is important to you. That relates to your Areas of Focus. Those are the eight areas of life we all share but will define and prioritise differently.  Things like, your family and relationships, career, finances, health and fitness and self-development.  Knowing what these mean to you and what priority they are in your life goes a long way to helping you to build productive days.  Almost every client of mine that has significantly improved their time management have gone through the Areas of Focus exercise and defined each one.  The second part to this is to be clear about what your core work is. This is the work you are employed to do.  What I found interesting is that my YouTube Short video with the fewest views is the one asking the question: What are you employed to do?”  That doesn't surprise me. Going through and defining your Areas of Focus and core work is not sexy. Quick fixes, new tools and apps are the sexy things, yet none of those will ever help you regain control of your time.  Sure, they are fun, exciting and interesting to explore. But they are distractions that will never help you be better at managing your time.  (I learned that one the hard way. I used to waste so much time each week playing with new apps, programmes and tools)  Speaking of tools, I have noticed that the most productive people use simple tools. Often it's Microsoft ToDo or Apple's Reminders. Quite a few use Todoist, but I suspect that's because I have done nearly four hundred videos on Todoist and many of my clients found me through YouTube.  People who struggle the most are using project management tools like ClickUp or Monday.com. Those types of tools require far too much maintenance to keep them up-to-date and that takes time away from you doing the work you are organising.  It's as the old saying goes, you're trying to crack a nut by using a sledge hammer.  But, the stand out change that people make that has the biggest impact on their time management and overall productivity is they get ruthless with their time allocation.  And I mean ruthless.  For example, one long term client, now a senior executive in his company, will not allow any meetings on a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon. Those times are blocked on his calendar.  He uses that time for doing his most important work for that week.  Three hours Monday morning and three hours Friday afternoon. That's six hours he knows will not be interrupted and so he can confidently allocate work to those times. I remember when we first started. He was all over the place. He had meetings lined up Monday through Friday and couldn't even find a hour to quietly get on with his work.  His default answer to any request was “yes” and it was destroying him.  Now, not only does he have greater respect for his own time, his colleagues also do. Nobody even bothers to ask for a meeting on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon because they know he will say no.  The key here is to get control of your calendar. (Another principle). If you're not in control there, it doesn't matter what you do elsewhere because you've lost control in the one area that determines what you do and when.  Everyone will be different here.  I have one client who's a surgeon and a professor. She has to divide her time between the operating room and the classroom.  Her surgery hours are fixed. So, she knows she will be in the operating room on a Tuesday and Thursday. Her teaching hours vary according to each semester, but once the academic year begins, her lecture times are fixed.  These times are locked into her calendar. But she goes further. She knows that she will have to meet with patients and students. So, Wednesdays are dedicated for patients. She will visit the patients she will be operating on the next day and deal with any out-patient clinics on a Wednesday.  So three days a week are dedicated to her role as a surgeon.  She will do her academic work on Mondays and Fridays. Most of her lectures are in the mornings, and she will stay in her office in the afternoons so she's available for students if they need her.  What she has done is to become ruthless with how she allocates her time each week. Her calendar is sacred territory.  She does open Saturday mornings during exam times so students can access her if needed, and she can do any outstanding admin work in between.  What got her back in control was taking back control of her calendar and saying “no” to requests that did not fit in with her priorities.  And this is where it's hard for most people. Getting control of their calendar. The easy part is organising and reorganising your task manager. Really all you are doing there is moving things around.  When it comes to getting control of your calendar you have to interact with other people and that means in some instances you will need to say No.  And there human nature will challenge us. We're wired to “please people”. So saying “no, I cannot meet with you” is tough. It's easier to find an excuse why you are different to everyone else.  Yet, you don't have to say no. You can use services such as Calendly, that lets you pick times you will be available for meetings and all you need do is share your unique link with people requesting a meeting with you. They can then choose a time that works for them without all the hassle of trying to find a time.  Technology has conditioned us to become comfortable with automated systems. There's little to no pushback these days. In fact I'd go as far as to say that people much prefer to choose their appointment time from an online booking service.  Another long-time client of mine is a financial advisor. He adopted Calendly for his clients to use to book a call with him.  He was expecting a lot of pushback from his clients. Instead he got a lot of compliments. They loved it. They could book a time to talk with him from the comfort of their own sofa late at night without having to call or message him during “office hours”. Now, whenever he gets a message or email requesting a meeting, he sends them the link to his booking service.  This means he's in complete control of his time. He can open or close meeting time slots during his weekly planning sessions, and he knows when he will be meeting clients so he can be better prepared for the meeting.  And speaking of weekly planning. This is possibly the number one idea that brings the most significant improvement.  Consistently planning the week is really a no-brainer no matter what role you have in your professional and personal life.  The senior executive, surgeon and financial advisor I previously mentioned wouldn't dream of beginning a week without a plan. It's how they can manage conferences, holidays and other extraordinary weeks.  Without a plan for the week, it's like setting out on a journey without knowing where you are going. You'll get somewhere but highly likely it'll be a place you do not want to be.  The weekly plan is about deciding what is important to you that week. What projects need attention, where your meetings are, and what you want to accomplish.  For instance, many of my clients will decide when they will exercise at a weekly level. They'll decide how many times they want to go to the gym or out for a run and set that as an objective. This gives them the flexibility they need to ensure they are getting the right things done whilst taking care of the personal maintenance we all need of the right amount of sleep, exercise and eating the right food types.  The final piece is the daily planning. This is where you decide at a task level what needs to be done.  Because the world we live in today is fast moving, there will likely be things on your weekly plan that need to change. It's the daily planning where you can make those adjustments.  For example, if the senior executive came into work one day and walked into a crisis such as what recently happened to Jaguar Land Rover with the cyber attack, his whole week would need to change. It's at a daily level that those changes can be taken care of.  Meetings can be cancelled, auto reply can be set up on email services to explain why they cannot respond to emails and messages, etc.  That might be extreme, but it clearly can happen and things will need to change.  So there you go, Lauren. The people who get it, who are living productive and well managed lives follow a few simple principles.  They follow the COD methodology—collect stuff, organise and process that stuff, eliminating the unimportant and then ensure they get on with the work.  They ruthlessly protect their time on their calendars and never delegate management of their calendar to anyone else.  They plan the week and day to ensure they are working on the right things at the right time and are clear about what is important to them.  I hope that has helped and thank you for your question. It just remains for me to wish you all a very very productive week.   

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In today's episode, Sarah shares some recent planner news. She discusses price changes at Hobonichi (she compares her recent order to years prior), and then shares about the new Minimalist option available from Full Focus.Then, she goes through Q&A, tips & planner peace submissions for September! Topics include:- Feedback from a teacher about separating work + life into different planner systems- Tip from Sara about using ToDoist as a way to remind her future self about upcoming tasks- Planner Peace (mostly digital!) from SAHM Ashley- Suggestions for compact planners designed to be used for just one month at at a time?- Advice for rebuilding one's system after a life-changing medical eventTo submit your questions, email sarah hart unger at gmail or visit theshubox.com! Episode Sponsors: IXL: Make an impact on your child's learning this school year with IXL! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠. Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠greenchef.com/50BESTLAID⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠PrepDish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠ for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3696: Carl Pullein lays out a powerful framework for beginning each morning with clarity and control by focusing on three simple practices: reflection, prioritization, and intention-setting. By anchoring your day before distractions take over, you create momentum, reduce stress, and make space for meaningful progress. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.carlpullein.com/blog/how-to-start-the-day-with-intention-and-purpose/6/11/2019 Quotes to ponder: "Before you allow the world to hijack your attention, you want to establish control over your day." "The day hasn't started yet, and you have the peace and quiet to really think about what you want to accomplish." "Think about what outcomes you want from the day and why those outcomes are important." Episode references: Evernote: https://evernote.com/ Todoist: https://todoist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices