Tag Archive for: Listful Thinking

10 Activities to Reward Yourself the Right Way

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Reward yourself the right way with thisI’m going to let you in on a little secret.  I’m a huge procrastinator and sometimes the only way I can get anything done is with a reward.  You know — a light at the end of the tunnel type thing.

If you have nothing to look forward to, your workload can quickly overwhelm you. So I’m a big fan of rewarding yourself after completing a time-consuming task.

However, it’s also important that the reward matches the progress that you’ve made.  So if you spend 20 minutes replying to your emails, you probably should treat yourself to a marathon Netflix binge.

But put a limit on it.  Will you watch 1 episode of House of Cards or 2?  If you plan out your reward in advance – it will be much easier to stick to it and get back to work.

There’s the thing though — a reward doesn’t have to take hours to be effective. There are some quick ones that will do the trick just as well.

Here is my list of small rewards you can treat yourself to without feeling guilty:

  1. Make a cup of tea.
  2. Go for a walk for 15 minutes.
  3. Listen to your favorite song.
  4. Watch a cute animal video for 4 minutes.
  5. Send a silly text to your friend.
  6. Eat some dark chocolate.
  7. Go on an adventure via Periscope for 10 minutes.
  8. Look up something you want to buy online for 15 minutes. (But don’t actually buy it until you’ve finished all your to-do’s for the day!)
  9. If you like to exercise, you could go for a quick jog or do some 10-minute yoga.
  10. Read a chapter of a good book. (Sign up here for a free chapter of Listful Thinking!)

How do you like to reward yourself?

What’s the Best Planner To Make You More Productive?

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image1 (1)Last Thursday I went back to Long Island, to the town I grew up in to attend a Listful Thinking event. It was at the library I went to as a child, where I first developed my love of reading. I remember joining a summer reading group there when I was a kid and getting a sticker for each book I completed. What a thrill!  So being there to speak about my book felt very much like an Oprah full circle moment.

My very first friend and neighbor Jackie is a librarian there and set up this event for me. While I was there I spoke to a women who was having issues with buying too many planners and not using them. (Sound familiar?)

image5Her friends all raved about how helpful the planners had been for them, but she just couldn’t get into them. So she assumed the problem was with her.

I asked her if she was having any organizational troubles, besides not using the planners, which she didn’t.

I imagine this may sound like something many of you can relate to, so I thought I would share with you what I told her – If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Don’t try to force yourself into a system that doesn’t work for you. You have to find your own unique productivity style and be true to it.

image4It’s almost a psychological thing where we feel the act of buying a new planner/notepad/pen will make us more productive. But the truth is there isn’t any special planner or notepad that will change your life and make you more productive. There is a only the planner or notepad that suits you.

If that’s a simple steno pad or Post-It note then so be it. It’s more important to have a system that works for you. I write my work to-dos for the following day before I leave the office everyday. I do it on a simple steno pad. Where you write the to-dos matters less than the actual system you have for capturing them.

What planners have you tried that worked or didn’t work for you?

10 Habits of Truly Optimistic People

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optimisticThe publishers of my book, Listful Thinking, recently asked me to take a look at a new book they’re publishing called 10 Habits of Truly Optimistic People by David Mezzapelle. I love these sorts of books like The Secret or Gretchen Reuben’s Happiness Project – so I was excited to check it out. I’m a big believer in the power of positive thinking, I try to remain optimistic even when things are looking bleak.

The following excerpt from 10 Habits of Truly Optimistic People really spoke to me. It seems like this man has the worst luck in the world – but then he turns it all around and lives a fulfilling life in the end. All because he didn’t lose sight of optimism and positivity – and feeding his soul.  I think we could all learn a lesson here.

Meet Frank Stranahan, and his son, Lance

“Frank’s father was the co-founder of Champion Spark Plug Company, so obviously he was born into a wealthy family. At an early age, Frank found his passion in golf and became known as the best amateur golfer of his era and even to this day. In addition, he developed an excellent physique from vigorous weight training. He believed weightlifting would make him a longer hitter, and he was the first person ever to combine strength training with golf. As a result, he earned the nicknames “Muscles” and “The Toledo Strongman.” Read more

Biz Coach Ali Brown Had Me on Her Podcast!

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Review Ali BrownI’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge fan I am of Ali Brown’s Glambition Radio podcast. I’ve actually listened to every single episode.

They’re great for keeping me company on the subway and teaching me a thing or two. So I’m very excited to reveal that I was fortunate enough to be a guest and chat with her about productivity, lists and how I got into the television business.

I first reached out to Ali when my book was still in the works because I thought it would be right up her alley.  She revealed that she was a list maker in one of her podcasts or an interview I’d heard her give.  So I thought she’d love it.  Turns out — she did!  And she was kind enough to endorse Listful Thinking.

I highly recommend you take a listen to the podcast . We talk about what got me started as a list maker and where I think the future of lists is headed.  I also touch on the best way to structure your lists, and even how to pitch media if you ever find yourself in such a position.

Listen to it here!

Get a Sneak Peek of My Productivity Course

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Screen Shot 2015-02-22 at 4.45.36 PMEver wish there were more hours in the day?  The problem might be you’re not using the hours you have in the most efficient way.  I’ve got a fix for this and I put it all together in a productivity course I’ve done with PopExpert.com.

It’s based on my book, “Listful Thinking: Using Lists to be More Productive, Highly Successful and Less Stressed” and is designed to help you live a more fulfilling and connected life. Read more