738: Productivity Hacks That ACTUALLY Work for Me

0:01Okay, I have been on this ruthless pursuit to purge any clothes that I'm not actually wearing. Like if I haven't reached for it in months, it's got to go. I am trying to be really intentional about what I bring into my closet right now, which means I am only buying pieces that I know I will actually wear and use. Revolve just gets it though. I'm literally wearing my brown Autry sneakers from there right now and my new suede purse. It fits my laptop in it. So it's basically a fancy shoulder bag that works for everything. I love finding pieces like that. Things that look good, but also work hard for my actual life.

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1:15So happy shopping, giving yourself a little bit more structure and ease and telling yourself that you can always back out if it's too hard or too overwhelming will help you get the start that you need in order to get the follow through that you want. Hey, my name is Jenna Kutcher and I am obsessed with all things business, marketing numbers, and helping you to navigate both the messy and the magical seasons of this thing called life. I'm a small town mama who took a$300 camera, grew a successful photo biz, and now I work from home and run a seven figure online business. I teach you the tried and true secrets to building a career you adore.

1:53Shy away from the real talk? No way. Money, hardship, growth, loss, and marketing are all topics we discuss here. Think of this as your one-stop shop for happy hour with a gal pal, mixed with business school. Pull up a seat, make sure you're cozy and get ready to be challenged and encouraged while you learn. This is the Gold Digger Podcast. Imagine this with me. Imagine a day where your to-do list doesn't intimidate you and where focus is your superpower. I know it might sound like a fantasy for most of us, but this can be your reality with these tried and tested tricks that I'm going to share with you in today's episode.

2:29I love this topic because everyone loves a good productivity hack, right? But here's the twist. We're not just talking about generic tips that may or may not work for everyone. We are diving into the world of productivity with science-backed hacks that have been a game changer for someone like me, someone navigating ADHD. We're about to uncover strategies, techniques, and habits that will not only boost your productivity, but also cater to the needs of those people that may be neurodivergent like me. These past few years have been this journey of self-discovery and empowerment as I've explored practical solutions for my tendency towards distraction.

3:07And now I am excited to share the habits that I have brought into my real life and made a difference with. So whether you're someone with ADHD seeking strategies that resonate or simply looking to enhance your productivity this year, you are in for a real treat. And real quick before we dive in, if you are looking for even more productivity tips or ways that you can get back your time, and if you're curious about how you can end the cycles of overwhelm and burnout for good, then you have to learn from my time coach. Yes, my time coach, Marie Forleo. She has a free live class, three sneaky mistakes that kill productivity and tank your profits.

3:46You can save your seat for it at jennacutcher.com slash time. Marie has completely transformed the way that I look at time and how I move through my days. And I know without a doubt, she can help you to make time for this class. I know if time is short, make time for this. You are going to learn how to truly make time for everything that matters for you. So spend one hour learning this and it'll change your life. Again, you can save your seat at jennacutcher.com slash time. Now let's dive on into the productivity habits that actually work. Your sales software shouldn't be a bummer. When you step inside your CRM, you should feel equipped to do your best work.

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5:05By automating steps across the sales pipeline, you can take back your time and spend it on more impactful tasks. Close more deals and get on track for your best Q1 yet. Learn about HubSpot Sales Hub at hubspot.com slash sales. That's hubspot.com slash sales. So the first one is a bit of a classic, but with a twist. So we've probably all heard of the Pomodoro technique. That's the method where you break your work down into intervals in order to increase your focus and your efficiency. So traditionally, the Pomodoro technique is 25-minute time blocks because it's been proven that our brain can focus better in shorter periods of time.

5:48Now, I will be honest, for me, sometimes 25 minutes feels like way too long or intimidating for me. So here are a few ways that I've tweaked this technique to help me block out my time, but in a way that supports me and my ADHD brain. So first, executive tasks. Now, this is like embarrassing to admit, but one thing that I've learned so much with my diagnosis is that I am so good at a lot of things, but one thing, or I should say a category of things that I really struggle with are just like executive tasks and functions. So these are like really common tasks that I avoid and struggle with. Things like cleaning out my closet, opening the mail, sending in bills, getting started on a project.

6:35So one thing that has really helped me is just setting a timer. So usually for me, it's about 20 minutes or even less. And I just have to focus on getting done what I can get done in that period. Now, what's super interesting is that usually in a 20 minute time spot, I can get the majority of things done, or I gain so much momentum that I hit the flow state that I am desiring and I end up finishing. And so timers can be really motivating. And it's hilarious to me because I'm a mom with toddlers and timers are like a lifesaver, right? Like you're at the park and like, honey, you've got five minutes left to play.

7:13But timers have been really helpful for me, especially in the areas that I am putting off. And one thing to note here is that if you are someone like me and you struggle with like executive tasks or things that come really easy to other people, it can be so easy to beat yourself up about it. And so when I set that timer and achieve it, like I feel like I deserve a medal. Like I would much rather get a medal for actually going through my mail, scanning the things I need to send to my accountant, mailing in the bills and making that donation to that nonprofit that I wanted to. I would rather get a medal for that than like being a New York times bestseller.

7:48Like for me, that feels like climbing a mountain. And maybe that's not true for you, but setting a timer can often help me just get the start that I need and alleviate some of that guilt and shame that I carry around when I see things in my life that I know need to get done, but I'm struggling to do it. Another thing that I have done and brought into my life that is similar, but a twist on the Pomodoro technique is telling myself I can quit after 10. So I have been doing this a lot with exercise in the last year, one of my biggest goals was to just bring daily movement into my life and make it fun.

8:23And there were so many days where I just like simply did not want to move my body. And so one thing that I've done is I've told myself, just start the workout. And if after 10 minutes you want to quit, go for it and quit. And what is so interesting to me is that I've never once quit a workout. And usually my workouts are like 20 to 30 minutes. So it's not like that long. But at the same point too, I think it's just proof that a lot of times starting is the thing that is holding us back. And so telling myself, you can legitimately quit and not blame yourself or not have shame around it after 10 minutes, if you don't feel like doing it, it shows me that starting is the hardest thing and that carrying forward and moving through it is usually a lot easier once I do that.

9:04So quit after 10 is another good technique. And then lastly, I like to do these things called blitzes. So blitzes are where I do super focused work where I'm talking about like only having one tab open. And right now, as I'm recording this episode, I have like eight tabs open. So it is very rare that I personally can have one tab open. But I when I do a blitz, it is like get serious, one tab open, put on some music, put away the phone, set a timer and get through as much as I can. This pressure works really well with my ADHD. A lot of times people with ADHD work really well under pressure. They are sometimes the people that are like coming in at the final hour.

9:46And so it allows me to like not overthink things too much, which is a tendency of mine. So whether I'm doing like a final review of a copy doc or hammering through my inbox and responding to all those emails that I've read and then marked unread, a 20 minute blitz can be a really great way to, again, get started, get momentum. And a lot of times I'll find myself doing more than that once I get going. So in short, if something feels really overwhelming or massive, or if you're kind of walking around in that guilt and shame cycle that you're not doing something that you know you need to do, try a spin with a Pomodoro method and harness your brain's ability to focus for a shorter period.

10:25And I feel like there's something in us where we're like, I can do anything for 10 minutes, right? And so giving yourself a little bit more structure and ease and telling yourself that you can always back out if it's too hard or too overwhelming will help you get the start that you need in order to get the follow-through that you want. It's time for Cyber Monday, Dell Technologies' biggest sale of the year. You'll find the lowest prices of the year on select Dell PCs like the Dell 16 Plus with Intel Core Ultra processors. And with built-in advanced AI features, it's the PC that helps you do more faster.

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11:48look I've become kind of a systems nerd and anything that gives me more space in my day I'm all in and a reliable connection is a huge part of that because when the internet lags or cuts out everything pauses and suddenly the simplest tasks take forever I learned really early on that dependable internet it's not a luxury it is a must whether you're a content creator like me, a restaurant owner, or running a busy dry cleaning business, you need that steady connection to support your team and your clients. That's why I'm excited to share a solution for my fellow business owners. Spectrum Business keeps businesses of all types connected with internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, and mobile services, all with connectivity solutions built for your budget.

12:30And they have a truly incredible offer. Business owners can get free business internet advantage forever when you add four or more mobile lines. It's simple with no contracts and no added fees. Visit spectrum.com forward slash free for life to learn how you can get business internet free forever. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. Okay. Number two, a habit that I've been doing for years that has been so helpful for me is something I learned from Marie Forleo. It's called the mise en place. So if you have ever found yourself working from home and suddenly it's the middle of the day and you have a load of laundry that is still in the dryer, which I'm laughing right now because our sheets are literally in the dryer as I'm recording this.

13:15Maybe you have an organizational project that you started of your linen closet. You have lunch half made on the counter. You have the dishwasher halfway open with the dishes still inside of it and no work is actually getting done. Then this one is for you. Because if you are anything like me, you can get super easily distracted. I'm talking about like the kind of distracted where you walk into a room and you're like, okay, wait, why am I here? What am I going to get? Or maybe you underestimate how long a little side project is going to take you. And then it totally derails your day. Listen up.

13:50So I will never forget when Marie started teaching this to me. I learned this in her program called time genius. And it just clicked for me. Like it totally made sense. I think about it every single day. So the idea actually originated from the culinary world. And Marie tells a story about how she was a bartender at a really busy bar in New York city. And she is having to like prep everything in advance. And so the culinary world talks about what mise en place is. So mise en place in French means put in place. It means that the ingredients are prepped. The tools are gathered. Everything is organize before cooking begins, which honestly, this method makes me laugh.

14:28I don't do a lot of cooking. Drew does the majority of the cooking for us, but like when I'm cooking, I am like rattling through the cupboards of like, Oh, I need the salt and pepper. Oh my gosh. I need the olive oil. Oh my gosh. I need to grab that knife and that cutting board. And like, it's just kind of chaotic. And so this idea of mise en place is like looking at the recipe in advance, getting out every ingredient you need, every tool you need, having it all laid out and organized so that when you start cooking, you have everything you need. What a beautiful idea, right? And so how I have applied this brilliant idea and have it into my life is that I have been starting to really think about exactly what do I need in order to accomplish the things that I'm going to do today and how can I prepare them in advance?

15:10So for example, before recording today, a couple of days ago before the weekend, I came through my office and I organized my office. So I got all my cords in the right places. I had my camera set up. I had my microphone ready so that today when I came in to sit down and record, all I had to do was plug my computer in and I was ready to go. And so it's this idea of really asking yourself, okay, right now next to me, I have my electrolyte drink. I have my coffee. You know, I have everything I could possibly need to keep me in this space to get the work done that I need to get done today so that I don't go off wandering into my kitchen.

15:45And then all of a sudden I'm eating a snack and then I'm reorganizing the cabinets. It just really kind of contains me into a space. And it also keeps me from getting distracted or thinking about the things that I need to do what I meant to do. If you are someone like me who is like hunting down where your AirPods are, or you're trying to find that one cord that you saw somewhere, this technique can be really life-changing because it gets you started faster. And again, getting started is often the hardest part. Another thing that I do in terms of mise en place, and this is something that Drew and I both do is like, we have that around our home.

16:19So like, it's just having things set up in a way that sets you up energetically with the right productivity mindset and kind of starts your day off right. So like, for example, before we go to bed every night, we take a minute, we fluff the couch pillows, we organize it, we fold the throw blankets, like everything is put back so that when we wake up in the morning, the house just like feels good. Like we're not looking at last night's dishes and wondering like, who is the slob that left these behind? Same thing with when we make our beds, Coco makes her bed. She's five years old. She makes her bed every single morning and has her little stuffies just so.

16:54But I think that some of these things, then when you go to climb into your bed at night, it just feels different. It's a different experience. And so mise en place can add more experience to your life. It can save you time and it can help you from getting distracted. And that is one of the habits that I've taken. So how to apply this is really look at what you're going to do today and figure out exactly what you need and try to think through it before you get into it. So tonight we have swimming lessons. I already have a bag pack. I have shampoo. I have a towel. I have a swimsuit ready. I have a snack in the bag.

17:23Like I've already anticipated all that. So when the time comes to leave for swimming lessons, I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off and adding more stress into my life. just having five minutes of foresight allows me to just change the whole experience of the evening. Okay. The next thing that I do is having visual timelines and color coded checklists. So I like love beautiful things. Please tell me I was not the only one who is a doodler. I was recently at a mastermind and like literally my notebook is just like full of little pictures and doodles. Like I am the girl who wants to buy all the colored pens.

18:02I want the highlighters. I want things to be beautiful. Like my to-do lists are beautiful. And I have always been this way. And so having these visual timelines, checklists, reminders, goals, it helps me so much. It kind of reminds my brain of like, this is what you need to be focusing on. This is the satisfaction of crossing something off of your list. I need visual cues everywhere. Like the amount of sticky notes that are in my home is almost laughable. Studies show that people with ADHD often benefit from having visual aids. So when you can create a visual timeline or checklist, you can not only make tasks and deadlines more concrete, but you can also bring yourself more joy and pleasure while you're in progress.

18:46And also just have these little reminders of like, this is what's most important. This is what's most valuable. One thing that Marie told me and taught me is that there is always time for what's most important in our lives. And having those little visual reminders of like, this is what's most important. That helps center me and kind of eliminate some of that time stress that so many of us walk around holding because it's like, no, no, no, I'm spending my time in the right place on the right thing. So here are a few different ways that I've done this. So one color coding my calendar. So this has been really helpful for me.

19:20I usually rely on my Google calendar. I, that is where everything is. That is where my life is. And I used to have everything. It was like, everything was the same pink and it was very overwhelming to me. And I never knew like, is that for a call or is that for the house cleaner or like, what are these things for? And so I started a color coding system so that I can really look at my week at a glance and also my month at a glance. And one of the things that I think is so interesting is that when I can see these things at a glance, I can start to notice trends. And like, if I'm really tired for the week, or if I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I can kind of look at my week at a glance and be like, whoa, this week was like really camera heavy.

20:01Like I had to be camera ready so many days. No wonder why I'm tired. Or this week I had so many calls. Like I need to have more margin in my life, or I need to create better boundaries around that. So having things color coded kind of helps me identify trends and also notice gaps in my calendar. And it also allows me to kind of put that mise en place, that last tip into action. So on days where I can batch work. So yesterday I had a day of like six different meetings. So I put everything in that and that was my day. Today I'm doing a lot of recording. So I kind of knew what to plan for. And so color coding my calendar is not only visually satisfying, but it also just helps me to kind of see what I need to prepare for as the week unfolds.

20:40And then looking at my month in a glance, like how did the month go? How did the month feel? What do I need more of? What do I need less of? And noticing those trends because it's color coded and easy to define. The next thing that I do in terms of having these like visual cues is actually printing things out. Now I know it feels very old school to like actually have a printer that has the right ink cartridge in it, but it has been really game changing for me. For example, the other day I I printed off my current vitamins and supplement list and I taped it up in my cabinet next to my supplement so that every single day I'm not asking myself, what do I need to take?

21:14And at what time do I need to take it? Or when I took Marie Forleo's time genius course, I literally went to Kinko's and printed off the color version of her workbook and having that visual cue and that ability to put pen to paper, which scientifically shows that you retain information on a whole different level and being able to highlight things and work through some of those tasks and projects, it really helped me actually follow through. I think a lot of us stop at information, but we never actually implement. And so if that is something that's true for you, print off the things that you are trying to learn.

21:52There is just a, such a different learning experience when you have something tactile. And so, yes, I went to Kinko's and got this printed. Yes, it cost me money, but it actually helped me follow through. And it is still a resource that I have and use and love. And so it's been something where it's not just another online login sitting in my inbox. There's like a physical reminder of the things I've learned and implemented in my life. And then lastly, another way that I visually do this and help sort my brain out is using a project management system. So we use monday.com. We've used it for years now.

22:28We absolutely love it. It is a project management system. And I kid you not, one of the reasons why we chose it is because it's beautiful. Like it's color coded. It's beautiful. It's visually appealing. And so what I do on that is I have my to-do list. So every single day I log in, my team can add different tasks or things that they need me to review. It's all color coded. I know what is most important, what is least important. I know deadlines. I get to hit this very satisfying button when something is completed. And so I love having this visual project management system that allows me to see timelines, tasks, projects, progress, like everything is in one place and my entire team utilizes it.

23:13And so it just keeps us in this cohesive system that everyone is using and not to mention it's beautiful. If you want to see how we use it, you can go to Jenna loves monday.com or click the link in the show notes. and you can just see how we use this project management system, but it's something I swear by. So if you need more visual ways to break down your projects or track your progress, just find ways to create beautiful triggers or reminders as you're working, whether it's post-it notes, printing things off, having a physical planner or journal, having a workbook. Like it is not silly. It works.

23:47Seeing your progress and having a clear roadmap can really help you manage your time more effectively. And it provides a sense of accomplishment, which is really crucial for people like me for maintaining motivation. Like knowing that I'm actually making progress motivates me so much more and allows me to get momentum. When we were young, we dreamed of castles and fairy tales. And as we grow up, those dreams might shift into building something real, like starting a business. You need a website, payment systems, a logo, and a way to reach customers. It can all be overwhelming and confusing, but thankfully that's where today's sponsor Shopify comes in.

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