Task Management & Time Blocking Podcast

Ep 30 - When You Need to Share Your Task Management Software

Your company has come up with a bright idea. From now on, the announcement states, everyone will share the same task management software. It’s sold as a win-win for everyone.
But you quickly realize that this is a problem. Your favorite task management software will now be a side-show as you are forced to change your practices.
Gone are some things you like to do using your software’s new features. Also, there will be some shared tasks that everyone can see.
You’re not sure if this is a good thing or bad, or what you should do about it.
Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Renee Clair, as we solve this wicked problem together.

Ep 29 - Auto-scheduler Overview 2022

Almost everyone who time-blocks manually for enough time, starts to wonder what it would be like to automate some of the overheard. Wouldn’t it be nice to click a button and see everything instantly assigned to an optimal time slot in their calendar?
But does such software even exist? The good news is that it does and in this conversation with Dr Melanie Wilson, we update our prior 2018 recording comparing 6 auto-schedulers.
Should you be using one of these AI-infused apps? Tune in to find out what we discovered and you could save some time, stress and even money.

Ep 28 - Can working less mean working better?

Are you someone who works really long hours, not because you are forced to maybe…you could really love what you’re doing! But you have an inkling that maybe if you put those hard work hours elsewhere, perhaps it could actually benefit your entire life…including the quality of work you’re doing.
If this resonates with you at all, join me and Jason VanDevere as we tackle this challenging issue.

Ep 27 - Reversing Diminishing Returns in Task Management Improvements

So you made lots of progress in your task management in the past - you are no beginner. You probably read some books and followed some sound ideas and found yourself getting more effect, and more productive, and making fewer errors.
But lately…you feel as if you have stalled. You’re no longer growing in leaps and bounds the way you used to, and you miss that growth you once experienced.
Now, changes come slowly, if at all. What can you do about it? You’re tempted to give up and move onto something different because…well, there are other places in life where you can put in some effort and see some results.
But is that the tactic you really want? To give up? Do you have a choice? Are there alternatives?
Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Dr Bret Atkins, as we solve this challenging problem together.
 

Ep 26 - Pareto Improvements to Your Task Management

You’re someone who launches personal projects to improve your task management. You have made a number of changes in the past, but you haven’t seen the impact you wanted from each effort.
Is there something going on that you cannot see? Are some changes more fruitful than others?
After all, you know a thing or two about systemic change: that seemingly small improvements can yield disproportionate, breakthrough results. It applies to other areas of life…but how about your task management?
Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Danielle Baily, as we solve this challenging problem together.

Ep 25 1/2 - Once You Realize that One-Size-Does-Not-Fit-All...Now What?

You are a productivity enthusiast, someone who loves to grow and learn in the area of your task management. You are aware of most of the gurus out there - the inventors of practices like GTD, apps like Todoist and devices like the Bullet Journal.
You also have realized at some point - maybe a long time ago, or just as you are listening to this episode, that one size does not fit all. In other words, even though gurus and developer claim that they have figured everything out, you know that’s not true. You have been around long enough to distrust anyone who tells you that they have the perfect solution.
But is that enough?
Perhaps this realization is just the beginning of a new journey. 
In this solo episode I will look at the issues we all have with one-size-fits-all thinking and what you can do about it in the short-term and long-term.

Ep 25 - Why is ”Emptying” Tasks So Difficult to Master?

Like most people who do knowledge work, there is a surplus of tasks waiting for you to complete everywhere you look. Your inboxes, todo lists, and task management software are full to the brim. You want to be on top, free of overwhelm… but there seems to be no way out.
Have you created a problem for yourself by writing down all your unfinished tasks? Does it make sense to save unread emails? Why can’t you just get rid of them all and pretend they never happened?
Maybe if you were a superstar in this area, you would never fall behind the job of emptying inboxes and todo lists. Is that even possible now…or in the future
In this solo episode, I’ll be sharing my most recent thoughts about the skill of Emptying and exploring new thinking that can help you make some headway.

Ep 24 - Achieving the Best Flow State

So you’re a creative person and getting into the Flow State is the key to your success. Like Michaelangelo or Leonardo, you use focused high energy times to do your best work. And you love it.
BUT… you have a Tik Tok account and the people you’re following are a growing distraction…and you can’t help yourself…you just want to take a peek…and another…
And when someone forcibly takes away your smartphone, you are able to focus, but then you overfocus and work for 15 hours straight, and then collapse. At that point you hate to return to your computer. 
Getting and staying in the Flow state is not so easy after all.
Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Manlio lo Giudice, as we solve this challenging problem together.

Ep 23 - Capture Points! What They Are and How to Manage Them

You’re a productivity AND technology enthusiast which means that you are managing lots of inboxes. Each time you sign up for a new one, they give you another.
But is that a good thing? Or just another loose end you need to account for in your weekly review?
If it’s the latter, then why? In this episode we tackle the problem of Capture Points - physical and digital places where potential tasks are sitting…waiting. We’ll talk about your need to handle each and every one of them…or else. That is, if you hope to develop a flawless reputation for being on top of all the stuff people send your way, wanting a response.
Join me on this solo episode as we explore this challenge that affects every single knowledge worker in the entire world. It’s a continuation of Episode 21 on Capturing.
 

Ep 22 - Task Management as a Non-Traditional Student

So you’re a career person who has a family…..AND you want to return to school. But in your mind you can’t see how to  reconcile the image you have of student life with your current obligations. After all, you have a job, a family, a commitment to your wellbeing, a spiritual life, friends, you belong to a community…all these things are not on the typical college students’ agenda.
In fact, most students seem to put these things on hold…on ice…while they focus everything on their studies. You cannot do that, to say the least.
Is there a way to have it all? You do know that people have done this before…you’re not the first. So there must be a way that can increase your odds of success. 
But what are they?
Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Emily Cordwell, as we solve this challenging problem together.