Reduce Stress | List Producer

Productivity Tips You Learn on the Job

January 27, 2015/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, People, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I have often credited my job as a news producer for honing my time management skills. Working in television has not only taught me the value of a minute, but also how to stick to a strict deadline. That’s because the news happens with or without you and you better be ready as a producer.

But what about other professions? Here are some example of jobs and the productivity tips we can learn from them.

Firefighters – These guys and gals are known for being ready to go at a moment’s notice. All their equipment is laid out, the tanks are filled, the whole process is geared to take as little time as possible. Because a couple of minutes can make all the difference when it comes to a fire — preparation is key. While your day to day might not be as important it’s still a good idea to do as much as you can in advance.

Read more

The Story I Was Never Going to Tell

January 20, 2015/8 Comments/in Home, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time/by Paula Rizzo

View image | gettyimages.com

I didn’t want to write this post. I’ve been putting it off for months. Part of me still doesn’t want to admit this actually happened to me. And I really never wanted to admit it to anyone. But the truth is — the recent purchase of our first apartment, renovation of said apartment and the act of moving into it, shattered me.

January 21st marks exactly one year that my husband and I closed on our co-op in Manhattan. And so I thought it finally fitting to talk about my experience.

I’m known for having my act together, being organized, thinking on my feet, problem solving in my sleep and being productive and efficient. I mean — I’ve dedicated this blog to these things and even wrote an entire book on the subject!

But I was none of these things during this time period. I was literally frozen, paralyzed and I felt pretty helpless.

I’m not typically dramatic and as a journalist – I’m very good at just stating the facts. But I’m also an optimist and that got in my way for sure. Read more

3 Ways Short Deadlines Help You Do More

January 11, 2015/1 Comment/in Apps, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The problem with time management is that humans are, in genera, fairly bad at judging time and how long things take. For example, five minutes seems like a short amount of time, but try holding a heavy box for five minutes and it’ll seem like an eternity.

So when we say we’re going to work on a project for an hour, we’re often setting ourselves up to fail. That’s why I believe splitting up your task into manageable chunks is actually the fastest way to get it done.

As a TV producer I’ve had years of practice so I know what 45 seconds vs. two minutes and 45 seconds feels like. It takes a while to get the feel just right. But when you do — it can be an amazing productivity tool.

Here’s some easy ways to break tasks into bite-sized pieces: Read more

Get Your Sh*t Together

January 8, 2015/1 Comment/in Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Fellow List Producers, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, People, Reduce Stress, Tool for Success, Video/by Paula Rizzo

My good friend Terri Trespicio recently wrote a post for me full of relationship advice for the New Year. She invited me to be on her show “Solopreneur,” which is all about sharing success strategies when you work for yourself. We talked all about lists and my book Listful Thinking in this episode titled “Get Your Sh*t Together”! In the video we ride the bus, we clear clutter, we drink tea….it’s a good time. As you can see from the picture, this guy was very interested to hear more about my productivity tips! If you’re just as interested do check it out!

How to Lift Your Spirits After the Holidays

January 6, 2015/0 Comments/in Happiness, Holidays, List Making, People, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Technology, Travel/by Paula Rizzo

I’ve really enjoyed my holidays this year. It was fun to relax with family, eat good food and watch new movies. (St. Vincent is amazing!) But now it’s back to cold, dark days and work. I love my job, but even I struggled with going back this year.

So how can we keep ourselves motivated now that the ‘fun’ part of winter is over? Here’s a list on how to have a good time while getting back to the grind.

Party More – A friend of mine recently told me that her New Year’s resolution was to say yes to more cocktail party invites. Isn’t that brilliant? Sometimes we get caught up thinking we’re too busy to go to something, or nervous that we won’t know anyone there. In reality every new person you meet is a new opportunity. So get out there more for 2015! Read more