Ep 67 - Get More Done and Do It With Ease

get_more_done_and_do_it_with_ease_productivity

Learn a simple skill and mindset to get into a flow state while getting things done.

Episode notes:

1:17 Sweding (remaking a )classic movie with family/friends and no budget, seven stages of project management

5:57 Turning a hobby into a career, how hobbies become roles

8:40 Frederick K.C. Price, televangelist and his effective speaking style

10:39 Keith Hill, upstart investor who made fortune with Gamestop stocks

12:15 How to prioritize, President Biden, PDB (president's daily briefing), definition of a priority, prioritizing in your daily planner

14:25 Zorba the Greek line: The Full Catastrophe, Jon Kabat Zinn

15:34 Why I use different speaking voices when speaking with Alexa, we all need future roles! Think big!

17:04 How to build confidence

17:50 Simple technique to get more done and do it with ease, approach your week like you fold towels

Q & A: How Can I Create S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Become a Better Parent, Spouse, and Friend?

Perfect question! Here are 8 productivity tips for becoming more joyful, productive, and fulfilled in many areas of your busy life.

 #1 Goalsetting

The S.M.A.R.T. goal is an acronym for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, & Timely

I don’t use S.M.A.R.T. goals because I find them uninspiring. Achievable and realistic goals fail to unleash the passion needed to achieve truly worthwhile goals. Also, we need different types of goals for different situations - just like we need many tools in our tool box.  

4 types of goals:

* Habit

* Deadline

* Visionary

* Skys-the-Limit


Let’s break them down:

Habit - A rule for how you’re going to live your life. It’s not a habit yet and once it is, you create a new one.

Example: I meditate for 20 minutes daily


Deadline - An outcome with a deadline - a snapshot in time. 

Example: By June 15, I weight X pounds.


Visionary - An aspiration that can’t be measured.

Examples: 

I’m the best Dad I can be

I’m a world-class problem solver

I enjoy abundance in all of my roles

I’m a visionary


Skys-the-Limit - Huge goals requiring plenty of imagination.

Example: My company’s innovation helped a billion people get out of poverty.

Compile your Master List of Goals! It’s invaluable to have goals from every part of your life in one list.

Example:
Habit Goals
Drink a large glass of water each morning and before dinner
Meditate for 20 minutes twice per day
Listen to my mission statement and goals 
Jog on the treadmill for 30 minutes
Do 50 sit-ups and push-ups
Read for one hour before bed
Floss before bed
Follow social media plan


Deadline Goals
Earn $X per month
Give 10% ($X) of my income to those in need
Contribute $X to my investing fund
By July 1, complete the Transcendental Meditation training
By December 2022, be the top productivity company in New England (x in annual sales)
By April 1, weigh X pounds


Visionary Goals
I’m a world-class problem solver
I’m a visionary
I enjoy abundance in every role
I’m lean, strong, and attractive
I’m the best Dad I can be
I have a net worth of $X dollars
I believe more every day


Skys-the-Limit Goals
50 years of twice daily Transcendental Meditation
Attend the Super Bowl with my sons
Introduce Saturday Night Live by yelling, “And live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
Eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant 1 x month
Enjoy 2 months of vacation per year 
Be a black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu
Be a NYT best-selling author
Have the G8 World Summit, Davos Summit, Navy Seals, and US Secret Service use my productivity method
Train pro sports teams to use my system
Provide free trainings around the globe for non-profit organizations


Write goals for your Spouse, Parent, and Friend roles using each of the 4 goal types!


#2 Identify Your Passions, Hobbies, & Interests

Brainstorm a list of your passions, hobbies, and interests. Strive to list 15 items in each category. The reason for doing this is that next you’re going to make a list of your roles - all the hats you wear. Many times, your roles will appear in your passions, hobbies, and interests. What do you like to do with your child, spouse, and friends? What WOULD you like to do with them? Brainstorm this as a family!


#3 Identify Your Roles

A role is a category in your life requiring quality time to be fulfilled. 


4 types of roles:

* Mind /Body /Spirit

Examples: Spiritual, Visionary, Body, Genius, Christian, Buddhist


* Giving / Receiving

Examples: Investor, Wealth Builder, Millionaire, Billionaire, Giver, Philanthropist, Volunteer for Little League


* Personal 

Examples: Wife, Sister, Friend, Mom, Chef, Rock Climber, Adventurer, Yoga Instructor, Roller Derby Queen


* Professional

Examples: Director of Leadership Training, Supervisor, Entrepreneur, Sales Pro, Speaker, Networker, Blogger



Include future roles, too! I’m not a millionaire, but I have Millionaire as one of my roles. Think big!! Why not?


Now combine your roles in a quadrant:

Example:

smart-goals-and-fulfillment-tracy_roles.png


#4 Manage Your Roles

Assess each role with a rating of 1-10 to get some needed perspective.


Brainstorm activities that combine roles. If you’re a Dad, Husband, and Friend, what can you do that will involve multiple roles? Plan a camping trip with another family - there ya go!


Consider how you transition between roles through a typical day. Think of a Marine Drill Sergeant - she’s tough, ruthless, and demanding. These are great attributes for a drill sergeant but not for other roles - like relationship and parenting.


#5 Unleash Your Creativity

Brainstorm quality questions daily related to your roles. Make sure you’re asking empowering, solution-focused questions! Yes - there are good and bad questions. 


Examples of bad questions: Why am I always broke? Why does this always happen to me?


Examples of quality questions:

Body Role: What new recipes can I prepare that will be healthy and make me feel lean & strong?

Dad Role: What’s something my child is struggling with right now and how can I support her?

Entrepreneur Role: Who’s my dream mentor?

Visionary Role: What would be my perfect day?


#6 Clarify Your Mission and Connect with Your Whys

Brainstorm words you associate to each role - when you’re at your best in that role. 

Example: Role of Visionary: creativity, beacon, innovation, Willy Wonka of design, Mozart, simplicity, elegance


Next, write a 40-60 word mini-mission statement for each role.

Here’s the template: I am a (role name). I _______, ________, and _________ so I can___________. This is my (nickname) role. 


Example:
I’m a visionary. Creativity is my greatest gift. I think big every day & constantly absorb new insights and apply them. I’m a lookout tower and lightning rod. I’m a voracious reader and unstoppable force for good. My crystal clear goals keep me on track for achieving my juiciest dreams. This role is my Willy Wonka engine role that drives everything good in my life. 


Make an audio recording of your mini-mission statements and goals and listen to them daily so you hover over them all the time! You must revisit the emotion of them at least once a day.


#7 Ace Your Large Projects

There are 7 stage of project management:

1. Identify the spark - what’s the emotional connection to the project? That’s key - it’s your fuel. 

2. Gather - Collect all the resources and inspiration related to the project.

3. Brainstorm - Ask lots of questions!

4. Structure - What are the main components of the project? If it’s a book you’re writing - how many chapters?

5. Action - Roll up your sleeves and get then bulk of the project’s work done.

6. Refine - Make it shine. 

7. Celebrate!


Make a list of all the projects on your plate and a few that you’d like to begin. And find creative ways to connect roles while working on the projects.

Example: Treehouse, Patio, Disney trip with family


#8 Start a Daily Journal

Throughout the day, jot down creative snippets - unique experiences or thoughts that you can explore later that night. Strive for moments of beauty - not full days. Capture flashes of joy - the little things! 

Examples:

* 4 year-old nephew was wrestling with his Grandpa and says, “Pappa, you’re my favorite old man!”

* Favorite song from high school came on the radio as I drove home from work and I opened the moon roof with the music blaring 


Try out these suggestions and you’ll become more joyful, productive, and fulfilled in all areas of life. Apply these productivity tips to improve your work life balance, time management, goal setting, project management, and life purpose.


If you’d like to continue this conversation and learn how these principles relate to your life, call/text for a free consult at 774-230-3928.

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Connect More Deeply with Others by Adding Color Words to Your Vocabulary

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What’s your favorite word? Perhaps it’s hoity-toity, smarmy, or tomfoolery. Choosing the right word can transform your experience. Instead of describing your dessert as being good, how about saying, “I had creme brulee’ served in a chocolate tulip cup, drizzled with raspberry sauce, and topped with a sprig of mint.”

4 Techniques for Expanding Your Vocabulary So You Can Unleash Your Creativity and Connect More with Others

#1 Color Words
Jot down unique words you hear while consuming the news. I have a one-subject notebook in a clipboard next to me while I read the newspaper and I record any word or phrase I don’t use often in conversation or writing. I term them color words. I learned about color tones while studying jazz improvisation. You have notes in the chord or scale you are playing but you also have color tones - notes that are vastly more interesting to incorporate in an improvised solo. I used to have a podcast called Color Words - check it out!

#2 Word Salad
Take 10 color words/phrases and incorporate them into a stream-of-consciousness story - the more nonsensical, the better! You’ll get practice using color words. Here’s a zany tale I wrote about a doomed first date between Gwynyth Paltrow and Quint, and the salacious skipper of the Orca from the movie Jaws:

(Color words used: apertif, said primly, pandemonium, exasperated, hubbub, fiery development, deranged, inundated by, ramp up, banter, tussle, upheaval, leery of, luddite, svelte jeans that hugged her derriere, feckless failure)

Gwyneth sipped an apertif as she waited primly for her date to arrive. Suddenly, pandemonium erupted at the entrance of the swanky Nobu restaurant. She could see the maitre' d growing exasperated with a boisterous customer. Dishes broke in the hubbub. Gwyneth said to a woman at the next table, "I don't need a fiery development like this - I'm here for a blind date with a handsome older gentleman I met online."

"Oh, what's his name?"

"Quint. His profile described him as an old soul with a great sense of humor whom lives for adventure," said Gwyneth dreamily.

The maitre' d followed the man in the middle of the commotion. He was swearing and yelling at everyone. They were coming over to Gwyneth's booth! Her heart sunk. "You're Quint?'' she asked incredulously. He peered at her with a deranged grin - a huge gap between his front teeth. She was inundated by the smell of apricot brandy.

"Let's ramp things up," said Quint, as he slumped into the booth and stared into her gorgeous blue eyes. After a few minutes of banter, she became quite enraptured with his stories of life on the open sea. Gwyneth's ex-husband showed up unexpectedly and told Quint to get lost. After a vicious tussle, Pierre Delecto stormed off with a black eye and bloody lip. Gwyneth was in love - she loved being the center of upheaval.

"You know, Quint, at first I was leery of you, but now I realize you're just the kind of man I've been seeking. Who cares if you're an uneducated, classless, luddite," she said as they left the restaurant arm and arm, her svelte designer jeans hugging her derriere. As they passed the maitre' d Gwyneth said, "I'm love with a feckless failure." Quint laughed deliriously and said, "As long as you pay for the Orca to become seaworthy again, you can call me whatever you want."

#3 Word of the Day
Choose one of your color words to be the word of the day. Write the word and its definition on a whiteboard in your office (I use a nifty sign) . Make sure to use the word in conversation during the day! You may be surprised how people will respond to out-of-the-ordinary words. If someone says something ridiculous, call them out by saying, “Horse pucky!” If someone’s disruptive, you ask, “What’s all the kerfuffle?” When somebody stands out, you may want to hobnob a bit.

#4 Replace Common Words with Color Words

I’ve written many blog posts espousing the benefits of journaling. Here’s a challenge: pepper your journal entry with a few of the following: Abscond, bamboozle, befuddle, behoove, besmirch, bric-a-brac, bucolic, brouhaha, cantankerous, churlish, claptrap, cloister, cobble, cod swallow, cogent, cornucopia, crystallize, cull, deluge, dodgy, doldrums, doleful, dreck, festoon, flout, fritter, galvanize, glower, grouse, harangue, hardscrabble, hobnob, irascible, jocular, juggernaut, kerfuffle, kowtow, linchpin, mellifluous, milk toast, mollycoddle, moxie, nefarious, nubile, opulent, panache, panoply, pariah, penchant, persnickety, pithy, platitudes, poppycock, prattle, quagmire, rancor, roil, scuttlebutt, slipshod, sprightly, stymie, teetotaler, tomfoolery, trundle, unflappable, unfurl, upshot, usurp, well-trodden, and wizened.

So, with a little bit of practice, you can begin to sprinkles color words into your conversation and writing. You’ll stand out and be much more engaging to others around you. And you won’t fritter away opportunities to make a connection with your colleagues.

Related links:
Never Hoity Toity Word Salad Blog

Color Words Podcast

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What My Colonoscopy Taught Me About Empathy

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You may think it asinine to write a blog post about a colonoscopy but don’t pooh-pooh the idea just yet. Here are a few lessons I learned about empathy from my first colonoscopy.

1. Receiving Empathy Recharges Your Ability to Empathize with Others

The procedure is nothing compared to the preparation. The day before you have to drink a half gallon of laxatives with four stool softener pills and have only clear liquids - that all sucked. Although, the receptionist at the  doctor’s office gave me a very helpful tip: chicken broth at meal time fills you up like a meal.

After the prep, it was time to head to the hospital. My brother-in-law was kind enough to be my taxi for the day. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences at Harrington Hospital in Southbridge, MA. and today was no no different. They checked me in quickly and I was sent up to the third floor and given a johnny and yellow ankle socks with grippy lines on the bottom. I love those things! The nurse did the IV and offered me a warm blanket while I waited for the doctor. She really calmed my nerves. Soon enough, it was time to get wheeled down to the doctor and his team. Dr. Stagias was cheery and energetic. He distracted me by asking, “Brady or Mahones?” 

The anesthesia nurse administered Propofol and I secretly enjoy the experience. I try hard to stay awake. I focus on how it washes over your mind - it’s so strong! It’s impressive. I tried to tell a quick joke but was knocked out before the punchline. Later, my son laughed saying the medical staff probably high-fived one another when I conked out before getting to my corny punchline. I regained consciousness gradually and a recovery nurse gave me a warm blueberry muffin - halved and with a pat of butter melting inside. It was the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted. 


2. Living Your Life Purpose Gives You Strength in Challenging Times 

On prep day, I worried about time spent in the bathroom but as the procedure time got closer, I began focusing on the more serious concern - what it I have polyps or colon cancer? Just a week before, a friend of mine was waiting on biopsies to return from the lab. When you go into a possibly life-altering situation, you start thinking big thoughts. If it all ends now - was I going after my purpose? How close am I in this moment to my mission and vision for my life? 


3. Stressful Experiences Can Pave the Way for Creative Breakthroughs

While propped up in a hospital bed in the on-deck area, I did started reading “Fascinate: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist” by Sally Hogshead. This is one of those books that comes along at just the right time. It connects a lot of loose ends that have been flailing about for a long time. 

When I returned home from the hospital, I contemplated how kind everyone was to me through this experience. Suddenly, I had the idea for a support group for large corporations that’d be built upon the concepts in my book, “All the Hats We Wear: How Innovators and Visionaries Manage Their Time and Live Their Purpose.” Empathy will be the cornerstone of the group. I felt strongly that people would respond more to being part of a group than working individually. I scribbled notes as the ideas came. 

Next, I brainstormed another concept related to journaling. The concept is titling each day’s journal entry - as if it’s a composition. It could be a memorable quote someone said during the day. Both of these ideas were hiding beneath the surface and needed the experience I went through to crystallize.

 So, with this experience behind me, I pause to wish my friend well and I give thanks to the lessons about empathy and living one’s life purpose that I gleaned this week. I ‘m thankful to the hospital staff and my family. Before pooh-poohing this article, share an example of how empathy changed your life in the comment section!   

Scott Snow is a Certified Life Coach and Productivity Expert. For more information visit www.allthehatswewear.com

Ep 63 - Achieve Any Goal with Amira Alvarez, 7-Figure Coach and Founder of The Unstoppable Woman

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Amira Alvarez, CEO and Founder of The Unstoppable Woman, shared a variety of wonderful ideas to apply:

  • Breaking through to the next level

  • Common blocks that are preventing us from reaching our potential

  • Overcoming the fear of rejection - “You’ll always get more No’s than Yes’s”

  • Giving is the first law of receiving

  • The Law of Compensation - “You will have who you are”

  • Modulate your energy with every different situation

  • Holding space for the “wobble” in coaching

  • Owning the desire that leads you to your purpose

Amira Alvarez is the founder and CEO of The Unstoppable Woman, a global coaching company helping entrepreneurs, empire builders, athletes, creatives, and rising stars in all fields achieve their dreams and goals in record time. As someone who has made a quantum leap (going from barely making 6-figures to making $700k in one year, then onto 7-figures) and has lived to tell about it, she knows exactly what tactical strategies and mindset shifts are required to get out of your own way, live life on your own terms, and master the art of achieving any goal you set your mind to.

Learn more at: https://www.TheUnstoppableWoman.com
Free Resources: https://theunstoppablewoman.com/freestuff
The Unstoppable Woman Podcast: https://theunstoppablewoman.com/listen/

Ep 62 - Have you ever allowed one of your passions to get beaten out of you?

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1. Have you ever allowed one of your passions to get beaten out of you?

2. Winter placemaking

3. A book on every bed, book recommendations

4. Wendy Eisenberg, musician

(Boston Globe)

5. Military vs. civilian medical care

6. Diversity training

(Wall Street Journal)


7. Mackenzie Scott, philanthropist

8. Tiger Woods and son

9. Performance evals in the work-from-home era

10. You brain's main job is not to think (11-x-20)

(New York Times)

11. You can't focus on the opposite of something

12. Color words

13. Have you ever allowed one of your passions to get beaten out of you?