In This Episode…
It is incredible to realise this is the 200th episode of the Profit Productivity Podcast.
I use this episode to reflect back on the lessons I shared after 100 days of podcasting and see whether they are still relevant now 100 days further on.
I also share my current thoughts on new things I have learnt that have added greater texture to the insights I’ve gained over the episodes on how to develop personal productivity.
Episode Show Notes…
00:09 – After 200 days publishing this podcast, the question is, have I learnt anything since episode 100. Back then I shared the ten things I had learnt after podcasting for 100 days.
01:04 – In today’s episode I want to reflect on those lessons from episode 100 and see how relevant they are 100 days on. I also what to add a few other things I have learnt since then too.
01:34 – Here are my thoughts on each of the lessons from episode 100.
01:43 – Lesson 1 – We are constantly fighting our natural tendencies in order to be more productive. This is still true of course and my understanding of the neuroscience and psychology of why has deepened.
02:22 – Lesson 2 – The power of consistently tracking how you use your time over a prolonged period – the numbers don’t lie. This continues to resonate with me especially as we can often find ourselves absorbed in trivia without even knowing it at the time. The data speaks the truth.
03:38 – Lesson 3 – The value of trying to understand what the real issues are. This continues to be an important theme for me. Even this week I have been podcasting about it when looking at what an audit of my e mail behaviour revealed.
04:40 – Lesson 4 – True personal effectiveness is not about tips, tools and tactics – it’s much more about mindset and discipline. This was true back then and continues to be as true today. Attitude and mindset will trump tools and tactics every single time.
05:24 – Lesson 5 – Things don’t always go according to plan – you have to iterate your way to being productive. This is a lesson that I have learnt and re-learnt many times over the last 200 episodes. I used to think that I had to get everything right first time (fixed mindset). What I now know is that things evolve. My episode, a plan rarely survives first contact with reality illustrates that beautifully.
06:41 – Lesson 6 – The power of experiments coupled with reflection and a willingness to learn from experience. This is still true though as my approach has evolved and improved, I have done less experimenting.
07:20 – Lesson 7 – It is a never ending process of continuous improvement. This ties in with the previous lesson and is also the final pillar of my Productivity Improvement Operating System. If all we do is stand still and stay where we are, then as everyone else improves, we are left behind.
08:01 – Lesson 8 – Accountability, awareness and honesty are crucial to developing new skills. This is still true and I will expand on that a little more later in this episode.
08:09 – Lesson 9 – The difference a growth mindset makes. This has been transformational for me in many areas of my life. Improving my personal productivity over the last 200 episodes has given me my own laboratory to watch my behaviour as my mindset has shifted to be more of a Growth Mindset.
09:20 – Lesson 10 – Real progress is made by applying myself completely to one things at a time and conditioning the new habit until it is natural and automatic. Again this is part of my Productivity Improvement Operating System and is a lesson I keep learning whenever I foolishly try to progress more than one thing at a time – chase two rabbits and you’ll catch none.
10:11 – What else have I learn’t since the 100th episode?
10:14 – In episode 145 I started looking at my values with the question “Do values help you be more productive?” The answer of course was yes, but values are very much a personal thing.
10:39 – With deeper insight I reflected on my experiences and realised there are these 7 universal truths that have shone through as my efforts have yielded greater levels of personal productivity:
- Clarity – getting clear on where you want to go, what is in the way and what you can do to get there makes taking action far easier.
- Honesty – it is important not to delude yourself, but be very honest about where you are right now. This is a characteristic of a growth mindset.
- Courage – have courage to make the changes necessary. Change is often uncomfortable, but a part of the journey and so can’t be avoided.
- Persistence – this is the ability to keep keep going through discomfort, UNTIL you get the result you are after.
- Flexibility – things don’t always go according to plan and so sometimes you need to find alternative ways to get to where you want to go. Sometimes, even your choice of destination may turn out to be the wrong one and so being able to change course when necessary is key.
- Accountability – Do what you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do it. And that is the most important when you make and then keep those commitments with yourself.
- Discipline – Success is the accumulation of the daily habits and routines we create for ourselves. Often the results of those actions don’t manifest until much later on and so discipline is about having the trust and faith in the actions you are taking and to keep taking them.
15:43 – This journey has been rewarding and I am sure it will continue to be so. What I do know is that as I take those steps forward in my journey, I will continue to invoke each of these universal truths every step of the way.
Until tomorrow…
