Saving Time | List Producer

Why Being Nosy Makes You Unproductive

November 30, 2015/0 Comments/in Increase Productivity, People, Saving Time/by Paula Rizzo

I’m a naturally curious person. You might call it nosy, but I don’t see it that way.

I’m just interested in what’s going on around me. It’s why I love people watching so much and it’s also probably the reason why I went into journalism.

The problem is sometimes this curiosity can be a hinderance. When you want to be in the know about everything… well it’s a lot of research. Sometimes I get so wrapped in things I don’t even care about, because I’m interested to see if it might lead somewhere good.

So I’m taking a stand and trying to cut these nosy time wasters out of my life. Check out my list – maybe you are guilty of dilly dallying with these tasks too: Read more

Make Technology Work For You

November 4, 2015/0 Comments/in Apps, Increase Productivity, Saving Time, Technology, Tool for Success, Webinar/by Paula Rizzo

You may have seen my recent emails about email overwhelm and my course Take Back Your Inbox. I’m determined to help everyone reach inbox zero! Our email overwhelm is really just a symptom of our much bigger problem… technology.

There are so many apps out there designed to make your more productive, you could waste a whole week downloading all of them. Too much technology can be counterproductive. So how can you target the right apps for you? How do you figure out which emails count and which ones can go? You can use websites such as my digital mate to research and read more about the latest apps and phone developments to help make a more informed decision about what to download and what to pass on. I’ve also heard of some people deciding to better understand their smartphone technology by buying components from websites similar to Octopart.com and building electrical circuits in order to gain new skills and improve productivity because of a newfound understanding of how this amazing technology works. But I digress.

Tonight I’m doing a teleseminar with ADHD expert and author Terry Matlen where I will be discussing some easy ways to use technology to be more productive. We will talk through a significant number of apps and how to use them throughout your day for maximum efficiency.

What we will cover:

How to get out from the overwhelm of email
Ways to use technology to help you — apps that will make you more productive

If you’d be interested in joining us for the teleseminar click the link here. I’ll also be doing a Q&A at the end, so if there’s any burning questions you have, now’s your chance!

Don’t Be A Scrooge This Christmas With This Checklist

November 2, 2015/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Holidays, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time/by Paula Rizzo

I get that we are all busy people and money is always tight around this time of year, but there is nothing I hate more than people who ring you one week before Christmas and say “Sorry we – insert excuse here – so maybe we just shouldn’t exchange gifts this year.” As though Christmas somehow managed to take them by surprise despite being an annual holiday.

I know most people don’t buy their Christmas presents quite as early as me, but the majority have them sorted by the week before and a last minute cancellation can really throw them off.

Be considerate of others this Christmas and follow this checklist:

Have the ‘Christmas’ talk – If you’re going to spend your time finding the perfect present for someone, it’s important to make sure they actually want it.

Now’s the time to drop your friends and family a quick text to find out “Are we doing presents this year?” Read more

Stop Searching For Your Passion

October 19, 2015/0 Comments/in Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Happiness, People, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Everyone has their “thing” — that one big goal they often dream about, tell their friends about and picture themselves achieving. For me it was writing a book and it’s been thrilling to reach that goal.

If you follow this blog regularly you’ve probably heard of my friend Terri Trespicio. I’m especially proud of her for reaching one of those goals that she’s spoken about often and dreamed big about.

She did her very first TEDx talk in Kansas City a few weeks ago! She talks about finding your passion… or rather not finding it. Read more

The Productivity Hangup You Probably Have Too

October 12, 2015/1 Comment/in Children, Decision Making, Happiness, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, People, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tea/by Paula Rizzo

A few weeks ago I was invited to a dinner party to celebrate my book Listful Thinking. My friend and colleague Joya Dass runs a women’s networking group called LadyDrinks and hosted the event.

So I was thrilled when she asked me to recreate the magic with an afternoon tea theme in Princeton, NJ. (You know how much I love tea if you read this blog regularly! So I was all in on this.)

Most of the women at the tea were professional moms who juggle careers in industries ranging from technology to medicine. They all had one question – “How can you balance everything?”

It’s not easy, I struggle with this too and it’s only me and my husband at this point!

One of the pitfalls and mindset issues I noticed coming up time and time again as we went around the room chatting was the idea of setting boundaries. I think mothers who work outside of the home tend to feel guilty about not spending enough time with their families. And then they feel guilty about not working enough when they are with their families. That’s a recipe for overwhelm and disaster.

Taking time for yourself is super important for your productivity and for your sanity. Here’s the fix: boundaries. Read more