Productivity Paradox

We’ve been talking about happiness all season long, and today we’re discussing the importance of connections and how that impacts your happiness. It’s important that we treat our friendships as the priority that they truly are because as humans, our need for love and belonging are the foundation for who we are. In this episode, we’ll discuss how important friendships and connections are, the way that connection impacts your health, and why it is important to build a friendship on a variety of different interests on multiple levels. What’s In This Episode:   Choosing connection in order to nurture relationships as an important part of our holistic selves Building true connection through quality time The impact connection and loneliness have on your health Showing up for collective moments of joy and pain to bear witness to human connection Creating relationships on common interests on multiple levels

Do some hours seem long and enjoyable while others feel fleeting and full of stress? Today, we are going to be talking about eliminating stress by bending time. We’ll talk about the impact planning fallacy has on our perception of time and how to make our important tasks more manageable and our days more enjoyable by using time buffers. We’ll also discuss the importance of lingering and six ideas that reinforce the idea of not rushing on to the very next thing. What’s In This Episode:   The concept and benefits of bending time Reclaiming our time by intentionally scheduling for action, thought and conversation The impact planning fallacy has on our future planning Making our important tasks manageable by using time buffers Six ideas to reinforce the idea of lingering

Learn how to be intentional with your family in today’s Ask Tonya Q&A episode. I’m answering listener’s questions about how to create & maximize time with family, the difference between urgent tasks and important tasks, getting your family on board with new systems, and how changing your perspective on others’ successes can lead to your own accomplishments. What’s In This Episode:   My favorite tips on how to carve out whitespace & recharge so that we can work effectively & feel successful Distinguishing between what is important and what is urgent in our daily lives Planning and maximizing your downtime with your family What is frequency illusion? And how to use it as a springboard for success

There are some things in our lives that feel like they shouldn’t be scheduled, but when we make time for them, they truly increase our happiness. Today we're talking about scheduling the unschedulable to allow yourself the space to be able to do what you want to do. We will talk about the importance of planning your free time and prioritizing your tasks, your loved ones, and yourself. What’s In This Episode:   Prioritizing your tasks & investing your time consciously Setting boundaries to allow yourself to dedicate your time intentionally The consequences of deprioritizing yourself and your loved ones Planning your free time in order to truly enjoy it

Are you good at taking breaks? Do you feel guilty taking breaks? Do you feel like they are a waste of time? Many of us skip breaks, just trying to push through and be as efficient as possible. Skipping out on breaks isn’t good for your productivity or overall happiness at work & at home. Today, we’re talking about the importance of taking breaks and the types of breaks that will make us feel happier each day. What’s In This Episode: Increasing your productivity with breaks Scheduling well-timed breaks for mental clarity Understanding the types of breaks you really want to take Five categories of breaks you’ll want to implement into your day Ways to have a greener workspace to incorporate nature into your day

We've all heard of FOMO, the fear of missing out, but what we need to do is to work to cultivate the joy of missing out. We’ll find the happiness in not following along what everybody else is doing, purposely not following the crowd, and doing your own thing. On today’s episode we are talking about where our FOMO comes from and the things that exacerbate it. We’ll also learn practices that will help us cultivate solitude and help us discover what we truly love. What’s In This Episode:   FOMO: where the fear of missing out comes from Exacerbating our comparison issue with technology & social media Forming an internal understanding of ourselves and our mission in this world Top 5 practices to cultivating solitude

Today we’re shifting our perspectives to cultivate a happier, more satisfying life. We’ll focus on mindset, the importance of identifying negative self-talk and thoughts, and the five practices that will allow you to shift your perspective. Learn to finally stop finding the negative in situations, and instead choose to become more aware of the positives and create your happiest life.   What’s In This Episode:   Lazy vs. Intentional: How your actions and emotions make all the difference Choosing positive, intentional thoughts Identifying negative loops & consciously shifting your mindset to optimistic Top 5 practices to help you finally shift your perspective

What does happiness have to do with productivity? Everything. The goal of productivity is to find ways to create space, to focus our time, our energy, and our effort into what really matters most, the result of which is happiness. Today we start season 7, on cultivating happiness through productivity. We’ll start with discussing the idea of choosing happiness. I’ll talk about what it looks like to choose happiness, how to handle our negative emotions and inner critic and four mindset shifts that you can start making today. What’s In This Episode:   Choosing happiness & the realistic choices you can start making to cultivate happiness Showing up to your emotions so that you can bring happiness into your everyday life Being happy and being comfortable: What’s the difference? Four mindset shifts you can start making today

All season long, we've uncovered several of the stumbling blocks many of us deal with and turned them into starting blocks. We're really only limited by our visions of who we are and what we're capable of doing & the stumbling blocks we experience are merely small obstacles to overcome. Today, I’m building on that idea and the importance of visualizing success. Visualization is the deliberate creation of images in one's mind and when done correctly, visualization is an effective way to overcome your obstacles and achieve success. What’s In This Episode:   Utilizing detailed visualization to break down stumbling blocks & plan our actions The relationship between visualization and success Four benefits of visualization Starting the practice of realistic visualization Expecting results from your visualization practice

Risk taking involves testing our boundaries in a safe environment, which helps us cultivate what we value and define who we are. However, it is a skill that is often under practiced because many fear stepping out on a limb and failing. Today, I am going to be sharing why it is important to practice the skill of taking risks, practical tips for assessing whether a risk is meaningful, and how to accurately define success when stepping outside of your comfort zone. What’s In This Episode:   Practicing the skill of taking risks Deciphering between fear and intuition Assessing if the risk has intention or not + a FREE download Actionable ways to take intentional & meaningful risks Defining success when taking risks

Do you ever get to the end of the day and have a dissatisfaction with your day even though you were constantly getting things done? We are constantly hearing the buzz words “busy” & “hustle” in our day to day lives, but those words are meaningless if you’re not getting meaningful or important things done. Today on the podcast, I’m sharing what it means to be present & how when productivity is combined with presence, it leads to accomplishments that are worthwhile and meaningful. What’s In This Episode:   Accomplishing meaningful goals through combining productivity and presence What it really means to be present Recognizing stumbling blocks through being present Be deliberate with your time: How to check in with yourself + a FREE Download Actionable ways you can be more present and cultivate a happier life

We all have that voice inside of our head that makes us doubt ourselves. When left to fester and grow, this self doubt turns into a paralyzing fear of commitment. Today, I’m sharing a strategy that will help you battle your inner critic before it even speaks up. I’ll also share about a mindset that will keep you from letting a fear of commitment drive your decisions.   What’s In This Episode:   Two combating voices in our heads: the inner critic and the voice of realistic thinking Battling your inner critic before it speaks up with the “Fake It Til You Make It” strategy What happens when we let self doubt grow into fear of commitment The “Complete It or Kill It” mindset Commit to show up and do something

When we think of procrastination, it’s easy to believe that it is simply about poor time management, but in reality it has nothing to do with time management and everything to do with our emotions. Today, I’m sharing the most common excuses we use to justify our procrastination & tips on how to combat each of those excuses. It is so important to press into the excuses we give, to recognize the harm that procrastination is doing to your work and to commit to change.   What’s In This Episode:   Fight Procrastination: Why it’s not about time management Letting go of the shame & guilt associated with procrastination Questions to ask yourself when you can’t get started on a task 6 excuses you’re using to justify procrastination & tips on how to combat each Commit to tackle your procrastination mindset

We often think planning out each detail will bring us success, but overthinking your next move really just leads to analysis paralysis and extra stress. Today, I’m sharing my favorite quick tips with you that will allow you stop overthinking and propel you forward to take action. The ‘perfect’ time will never come… now is the time to get started and move forward with your projects, goals and dreams. What’s In This Episode: • How overthinking and overplanning is actually procrastination • Letting go of your uncertainty and embrace ‘good enough’ • Become a Satisficer: make decisions when your criteria is met, not waiting for perfect conditions • 4 quick tips to help you stop overthinking and start taking action Be sure to join my free training at inkwellpress.com/5habits

Have you ever had a passion or hobby, but somehow felt you lacked the time to put effort into it? When life happens, we sometimes put off the little things that make us happy. In today’s mini episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite passions with you, and how I carved out time to rediscover this activity by redirecting it from a stumbling block to a starting block.

Feeling like you don’t have enough time is a common stumbling block, but today we’re flipping that on its head. It’s not about having time - it’s how we spend it. I’m so excited to have author and time tracking expert Laura Vanderkam back on the show to discuss time discipline versus time freedom and how to change your perspective of the time in your day. By the end of our interview, you’ll be asking yourself, “What makes today memorable?” and understand how to create intentional days going forward. What’s In This Episode: • Look at how you spend your time: The Paradox of time discipline and time freedom • Being a self interrupter: Learn how to open up time and space for yourself • Savoring time: Why it’s not MORE that you need • Stretching the experience of your time through intentional days • Feeling ‘off the clock’ by putting time into perspective RSVP to my Free Online Training: 5 Healthy Habits to Boost Your Productivity at inkwellpress.com/5habits. Each Tuesday, I’ll be offering YouTube videos on that

In this week’s podcast episode, we talked about being a self interrupter. What do you think one of the biggest sources of interruption and distraction might for us? I would guess that social media and technology instantly came to mind. Today, I’ll share a few simple ways we can be mindful when engaging with others using technology so that it is enriching our lives instead of interrupting.

We’re surrounded by technology, notifications, alarms, calls and the misconception that multitasking is a good thing, making it increasingly difficult to focus on real work. We often blame others for distracting us, but consider what you can actionably do to prevent interruptions from others - and yourself. Listen today and find out if you’re a self interrupter, why we distract ourselves and the 5 habits to cultivate that will increase your attention span, allowing you to hone in on any task you want to complete. What’s In This Episode: • Discover how ‘distractable’ you are - what do we do when nothing is occupying our attention? • How multitasking is hurting your productivity, and how to fix it with monotasking • Changing your brain and your behavior to diminish interruptions • 5 good habits that will boost your attention span and increase focus Sign up for the Productivity Paradox newsletter at inkwellpress.com/podcastemail to get free downloads and new episodes sent right to your inbox.

From tragedy comes intense beauty. For thousands of years, Sri Lanka was a key trade and shipping port for silk from China to Europe…but the route was not an easy one. In today’s mini episode, I’ll share what hundreds of shipwrecks from Sri Lanka can teach us about our failures and unfinished journeys.  

Feeling uninspired can keep us from going after our goals and dreams, leaving us dreading our work, and worse - keeping us from taking a single step to begin. I want to share a secret with you, though… it’s not about finding inspiration, it’s about being motivated. I’ll explain how those two feelings are different and the surprising way boundaries can set you free. We’ll use 5 different methods to create motivation so that you begin to make real progress and feel challenged and energized to keep going forward. What’s In This Episode: Working within boundaries to increase freedom & inspiration Why it’s more about your need for motivation, not inspiration Measuring your progress to create awareness and challenge yourself Decrease your risk of burnout with 5 ways you can boost motivation Shifting your uninspired, unmotivated mindset with small steps   If you’re enjoying the Productivity Paradox podcast, I would love it if you would leave a 5 star rating and review telling me why! When you do this, it helps