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[00:01:33] Welcome back to Talent Management Truths. I'm your host, Lisa Mitchell. Do you remember the time when you had a massive aha moment and it kind of felt like it slapped you right across the forehead, or maybe it pinched your arm really, really hard? Well, I had a massive aha moment like this a couple of years ago, which is, Ended up being a real game changer for me in terms of my productivity.
[00:01:59] So I'm going to share it with you today on this solo episode of Talent Management Truths. Now, I'm no slouch in the productivity department, to be honest with you. I get regular feedback from people, you know, over the years and, and recently that they don't, they don't understand just how I seem to get so much.
[00:02:16] That always makes me laugh because like you, I have an inner critic and mine likes to tell me that I never have enough time and that I will never accomplish enough. So that's why when you hear this story, you'll understand this aha moment was so powerful for me. In fact, it was really a relief. I still giggle when I think about it, and I'm almost incredulous that it was such a revelation, and yet I see the same type of aha happen all the time with my coaching clients when they actually take the time to reflect on what motivates them.
[00:02:48] So here's the story. My husband and I had headed out for a walk after dinner with our sweet dog, Jessie, and we both had a really busy day and kind of felt that need to decompress and to slow down. So we were each talking about how our days had gone and what we'd managed to get done and not get done. So I was feeling particularly frustrated because I hadn't been as productive as I had hoped.
[00:03:13] Brain fog had chased me all day, and I never really never really found my groove, to be honest. So Rob asked me, Well, what do you think is getting in your way? Great question. Hmm. Well, we walked in silence for a minute while I pond. I, I don't know. I said, I mean, I've taught time management before, over and over.
[00:03:33] In fact, I've researched it. I have great organizational habits, yet now I find what's worked for me before doesn't really apply in the same way now that I'm in a, in a different context working for myself. Now, you may be listening, thinking, Well, I work in a, in an organization. I'm, I'm in corporate, not, not an entrepreneur.
[00:03:52] And that's fine. I still invite you to stay with me cuz I think you might. Really resonate with, with, with this. Aha. Well, what was interesting was I said to Rob, you know, I read that, that book, it's called The One Thing by Gary Keller over two months ago. And you know, I still haven't quite figured out what my one thing is, and it's so annoying.
[00:04:12] I should be able to figure this out. You know, this is the story I was telling myself. Well, Rob says, what's, what is the idea of your one thing? Like what does that even. Well, I explained the book suggests that you ask yourself the following question, What's the one thing I can do today, this week, this month, whatever the timeframe, What's the one thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary.
[00:04:41] And then once you've answered it, you block the time to do it and you guard that as your ultimate priority. So it's really less about time management and more about getting clarity on what's essential and all else flows from that. Now, I truly had been grappling with why I couldn't seem to isolate my overarching.
[00:04:59] One thing I'd planned out my goals, I'd created a goal and vision board, Had this practice and still do, of reviewing my priorities for the quarter, for the month, for the week, and yet every day I had this daily task list that was overwhelmingly jammed with way too many tasks to get done.
[00:05:17] I also found that it was easy to get distracted with the smaller tasks, you know, the quicker, easier ones, just kind of check those off, feel so satisfying. And then I would procrastinate on the bigger tasks that required hours of, of deep focus at. So I wind to rob. Well, I just wanna curl up on the couch in the sun for a half hour and read a few pages of my latest Tim Ferriss book.
[00:05:37] It's so inspiring. Well, why don't you ask this wise, man? Well, I just have too much to do. I exclaimed. I mean, isn't it obvious? And then it happened. The forehead slap , the big aha. I had resisted the opportunity that day to get inspired to sit down for 15, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and read something that I knew would get me all fired up and motivated.
[00:06:06] Now, why did I. Because like so many of us, I worried that taking time to fuel my mind and our wellbeing by doing something that felt enjoyable versus work like was unforgivably lazy. It was clearly procrastination. Right? Or was it? I looked at Rob, Oh my God, it was hiding in plain sight this whole time.
[00:06:29] I said to him, shaking my head in disbelief. I need to read and seek out inspiration. When I give myself permission to read an article or take some time with a book or a decor magazine, it stirs up a million ideas. They literally spill out of me and I have to scramble to get a paper and pen to write them.
[00:06:48] and from there I'm raring to go to tackle those big rocks. You know, it's not a lazy indulgence at all. So the simple action of giving myself a few minutes to just read something that taps into my, my creativity that kind of fuels my brain, it, it makes me three times as productive, at least makes everything I tackle afterwards so much easier.
[00:07:12] It's literally my essential thing. Now, ironically, even though a few years have passed since this truth was revealed to me, , I still find I get outta practice sometimes and I get caught up in the smaller tasks and I give into that feeling of being rushed and having too much to do. It's kinda like that saying, Oops, there I am again.
[00:07:30] So while it's completely counterintuitive in the moment when you're feeling. Your next best step is to do the thing that fuels you the most. The thing that makes everything else that follows easier or unnecessary. You know, sometimes when I do this little reading technique of mine, which is what works for me, I, I find it clears my head so much so that I'll look at my task list again and I realize, Oh God, here, I was telling myself before I couldn't possibly get this off the list, but I could actually delegate that.
[00:08:02] I could postpone. You know, so it's, it's like a complete flip in a lot of cases. Now, for you, your refueling activity may be completely different. Instead of reading, it might involve a walk in the park, or maybe it's doing some stretching. Maybe it's a quick call, a phone call to a friend or your mom. You know, it, it's, it's something that gives you that mental break, that gives you that clarity that, that rares you up, you know, gets you going again.
[00:08:31] So, I'd like to offer you some questions that can guide you to identify your most essential productivity boosting. So number one, first think about, well, what gets in your way when you want or need to be productive? How do you trip yourself up? What are the stories, assumptions you're telling yourself?
[00:08:50] Like me, it's, I don't have enough time. I don't have time to slow down. Now, number two, what fuels you? And here's a hint, it's something you really love to do. Something that doesn't feel hard, it doesn't feel work. Number three, where can you build in some of this refueling activity regularly, maybe even proactively, dare I say, so that everything else that follows actually does become easier.
[00:09:15] So there you have it. I hope my story in this short episode has sparked some reflection for you and that you find your own aha moment. Thanks for listening.
