014 - Productivity and the Need for Speed - ProductivityCast

014 Productivity and the Need for Speed – ProductivityCast

Is doing more faster really better? When is slow good for productivity? That’s what the ProductivityCast team seeks to find out in this cast on productivity and the need for speed!

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In this Cast

Ray Sidney-Smith

Augusto Pinaud

Francis Wade

Art Gelwicks

Show Notes

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Raw Text Transcript

Raw, unedited and machine-produced text transcript so there may be substantial errors, but you can search for specific points in the episode to jump to, or to reference back to at a later date and time, by keywords or key phrases. The time coding is h:mm:ss.ms to h:mm:ss.ms (e.g., 0:00:00.000,0:00:04.000 starts at 0.00 seconds and ends at 4 seconds in the cast’s audio).

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are you ready to manage your work and

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personal world better to live a more

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fulfilling productive life then you’ve

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come to the right place

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welcome to productivity cast the weekly

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show about all things productivity here

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are your hosts Ray Sidney-Smith and

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Augusto Pinaud

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welcome everybody to productivity cast

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the weekly show about all things

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personal productivity we are back with

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another action-packed episode of

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productivity cast I have with me on the

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show today

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Augusto Pinaud Francis Wade and

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Art Gelwicks we’re going to be talking about

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productivity and the need for speed you

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know I’m a New Yorker as some people

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know and as a New Yorker I’m frequently

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told that I speak really fast and I tell

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them that I just am more efficient with

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communicating but but you know what’s

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really interesting about this is that I

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think that I think that there are

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different ways in which at least in

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English people tend to see language

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being communicated faster or slower for

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example the British speak faster than

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Americans they tend to think Americans

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speak very very slowly with a drawl and

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and I’m I’ve always been curious about

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the the sort of linguistic cultures that

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have developed because of that and but

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today but I really want to focus on for

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us all is really the importance of speed

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in a productivity system that one is

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developing what are the issues that we

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tend to encounter when we when we do go

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for speed over say any number of other

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things that could be quality it could be

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aesthetics it could be functionality and

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and then finally first all to talk a

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little bit about our own techniques for

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getting more done and less time using

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speed techniques in our own productivity

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systems and where we might have some

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positive consequences and maybe some

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negative ones as well along the way good

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morning everybody

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this is a good tip nuts and I want to

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mention a couple of things one regarding

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the language of what answered your

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question I am born and raised in

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Venezuela

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we Venezuelans tend to speak really

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really tough years ago I married a lady

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from Mexico and in Mexico of people

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being Spanish was much much slower to

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the point that if I talk to my parents

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and I get home and I speak with my wife

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she can know when I had I had speak with

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my brothers or my parents because she

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said that my speed increased tenfold so

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I still thinks a matter of Christians if

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you don’t understand me faster you just

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need to pay more attention but I made

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mean agreement with the new yorker here

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I did study Spanish underneath the

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Colombian woman so so I must I must fall

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into that category of very very slow

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Spanish Spanish it’s funny because I go

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to the other extreme I may live and have

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grown up outside of Philadelphia but my

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family is all from the south so

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conversations with my family when you

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get going they can take a half hour just

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to get one thing across but because once

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you add that drawl in and you start to

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wonder why those northerners are fast

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and why are you talking so fast and just

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relax then things just take forever but

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but that said I sadly in productivity we

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tend to try to apply the speed at the

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wrong time and and what I’m saying what

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I’m trying to say with bad is people

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don’t think about a speed up their

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productivity only they only think about

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speed up their productivity when they

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feel overwhelmed or very feel their list

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has grown up or they feel that the

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manifestation Amin where people start

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considering speed up their productivity

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and in my experience

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and what I have been able to coach and

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teach people that is exactly the moment

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to do the opposite to do the most

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counterintuitive thing you can do that

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is slow down and the reason is simple do

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you still have the same amount of 24

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hours but we know 24 is more like 16 and

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when you try to speed up what happened

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is unconsciously you tend to grab the

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long hanging fruit so you feel that

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you’re crossing out of your list more

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piping’s the speed is not about what you

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are crossing but how many of them are

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you crossing how fast are you trying to

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get to clean to have a clean slate and

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when you reach those points when you’re

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overwhelmed when your system has too

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many when did you feel you are in a

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negative spot that is exactly the moment

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to do the counterintuitive that is slow

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down because basically now every

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movement or every task that you peak has

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a much bigger impact than when you have

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time when you are not feeling not having

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any of those feelings that is the moment

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where you know in GTD terms you may need

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to do a weekly review every day you may

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need to look at your list you know two

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at the time and pick two things and then

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real valid after those two things are

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done and if I believe your system need

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to be able to allows you to speed up I

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also think people tend to speed up at

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the right at the wrong moment

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I’d agree and and I think I think that

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you know in order to get to a point of

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you know use the running analogy you

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know you sort of you need to accelerate

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to a point of speed which means you need

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to go slower before you get faster right

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you just do don’t go 0 to 60 or in human

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running speed you know 0 to 15 miles per

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hour as an elite runner out the gate on

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the gunshot and

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I took it I take this sort of concept of

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need for speed and productivity from a

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more broad perspective which is to say

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that many of the the people that I come

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to contact with they are suffering from

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procrastination and distraction and

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overwhelm and and all of these various

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productivity inhibitors and topics that

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we’ll cover over the course of time

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together but the big problem for me is

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that most of those things go away when

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people start recognizing that they’re

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going to die and not to be morbid here

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but the reality is is that you know you

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only still have so many years on this

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planet in this particular life so why

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would you waste it why would you

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squander that time and I think there’s

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an immediacy there’s there’s a sense of

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urgency that I unfortunately had you

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know a brush with death when I was eight

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years old the idea of of spending and

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enjoying and taking advantage of every

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moment of life it just seems to be a

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part of my fiber now and I wish that

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every person could experience that sense

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of passion to be productive while I

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don’t recommend everyone to have a brush

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with death early on in life I I do think

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that that sense of urgency is really

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something that’s very important to

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wanting to get things done and it’s not

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necessarily for me it’s you know

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productivity isn’t about getting more

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done in less time but it’s getting the

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right things done in the right amount of

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time and the idea that you don’t have a

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sense of forward momentum for life in

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general I think it’s really key in in

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either you know detracting from your

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productivity and then the antithesis

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being a beneficial advantage to it

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people who have an experience of not

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having enough speed or being slow part

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of their experience comes from making

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too many errors which means that they’re

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they’re doing the same thing over and

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over again or they’re trying to repair

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and a mistake they made like for example

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they needed a task and then do it proper

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the first time because they weren’t

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totally focused on it or they scheduled

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the task and put it on a list didn’t get

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to it and then had to scramble at the

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end my sense is that sometimes it has to

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do with people’s not executing the right

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task at the right time and as a result

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they end up sort of just before the

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deadline having to rush it goes back a

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little bit to what I’ve also said about

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wanting people to slow down in order to

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accomplish more I think the most

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accomplished people don’t have this

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sense of being in an emotional rush

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because they’re better organized so for

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me having having a rush is a it’s a

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byproduct of not being as organized that

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is you could be and he said that’s what

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works in my own experience I always look

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at it as the fact that I need to slow

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down just ever so slightly to let my

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logical rational mind take hold and do

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some planning assess a situation do some

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planning identify what needs to be done

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from that plan and then and then I can

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run off do you find that people who

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procrastinate and then sort of go up

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against a deadline do you feel like they

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they are stuck in an emotional state and

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therefore can’t engage their logical

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rational mind when they get to that

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place yeah I think it’s I think it’s if

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you if you go past the the word

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procrastinate and just look at their

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practices and their habits so if they

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have a habit of jumping into work first

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thing in the morning for example it

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doesn’t occur to them that they are

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procrastinating on anything they’re just

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they’re working they’re working hard no

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what they’re not doing is that they’re

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not planning so that takes them up

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against a deadline and causes and causes

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a problem but it it’s not that they in

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their minds that they’re doing anything

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wrong it could feel as if they’re

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working really really hard so it’s not

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not so much a matter of procrastination

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or even of doing anything wrong per se

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it’s that though there there has to be a

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period of time if you want to be

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extremely productive

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in which you are engaging your rational

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mind as you said it’s better if it comes

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earlier in the day than later that’s I

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guess the general principle but if you

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don’t have the habit then you wouldn’t

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even know what you’re missing

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does that make sense that makes sense

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and I want to add to that you know or

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make emphasis is something really

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important but Francis mention is because

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it’s so counterintuitive what we are

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discussing people think oh but if I work

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hard then it will be better or if I stay

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late then it will be better because

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there is a problem in the in general

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again is one of those counterintuitive

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things okay in productivity that people

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think if you ask hundred people right

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now will you have more time tomorrow the

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answer the majority will answer a

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resounding yes

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and then it’s a lie no you will not have

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more time tomorrow unless you start

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blocking time today if you want to take

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two weeks pop in a trouble

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you are late already to take off for

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that week otherwise the amount of things

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you have the amount of agreements you

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have make are already most likely going

0:12:23.800,0:12:31.240
to run over those two weeks and that’s a

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promise where things are giving you a

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problem to begin with the other thing is

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I will going to start working more yes

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but the problem is after you start

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exhausting yourself you are much much

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more less effective you know when I

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wrote the 4 a.m. book that was one of

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the arguments I discussed as an old

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member of the owl Club as I used to call

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it ok read the people who start working

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at 11:00 p.m. and then I stay until 3:00

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a.m. I did that for a long time until I

0:13:07.690,0:13:13.180
discover off but if I go to bed and wake

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up at 4:00 when that means you happen

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what happen is between 4:00 and 6:00 I

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can accomplish two or three times what I

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used to be able to accomplish eleven

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three I’m the time is irrelevant when I

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wrote that book and put the title a lot

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of people came in jail or I will not

0:13:28.420,0:13:33.100
wake up at where iam doesn’t matter wake

0:13:30.100,0:13:34.750
up at five the argument is figured it

0:13:33.100,0:13:38.530
out how you’re going to manage your

0:13:34.750,0:13:41.950
energy because that’s a big element of a

0:13:38.530,0:13:44.080
speed up speed up has nothing to do with

0:13:41.950,0:13:47.500
crossing more stuff out of that list

0:13:44.080,0:13:50.170
it’s about crossing faster the right

0:13:47.500,0:13:54.280
things on that list and that require

0:13:50.170,0:13:57.070
from my perspective two things one that

0:13:54.280,0:13:59.590
you have the right amount of mental

0:13:57.070,0:14:01.960
energy because if you are exhausted

0:13:59.590,0:14:03.820
you cannot tackle the importance if the

0:14:01.960,0:14:06.130
important thing should not put water on

0:14:03.820,0:14:08.620
the plant the important things is

0:14:06.130,0:14:10.840
defined about murder unless you have

0:14:08.620,0:14:14.350
mental energies you will not be able to

0:14:10.840,0:14:16.930
do and second call those times that you

0:14:14.350,0:14:18.910
need to speed up not only you need

0:14:16.930,0:14:23.830
mental energy but you need to have a

0:14:18.910,0:14:26.890
much much time control about what is on

0:14:23.830,0:14:29.590
your system then when you have time when

0:14:26.890,0:14:31.600
you have time no problem you know you

0:14:29.590,0:14:33.430
can pick three tasks that are wrong and

0:14:31.600,0:14:35.950
then it doesn’t matter I will do the

0:14:33.430,0:14:38.050
next ones better when you don’t have the

0:14:35.950,0:14:39.810
time and you are on those levels from

0:14:38.050,0:14:43.690
those moments that you need to speed up

0:14:39.810,0:14:46.150
every time could you pick this against

0:14:43.690,0:14:49.660
another one because you don’t have the

0:14:46.150,0:14:53.110
time so you need to pick wisely and the

0:14:49.660,0:14:56.380
only way to pick wisely is to be really

0:14:53.110,0:14:58.810
aware of what of everything that is on

0:14:56.380,0:15:01.870
your system and how picking type tasks

0:14:58.810,0:15:04.030
pay will affect there are other options

0:15:01.870,0:15:06.700
that you have you know it’s interesting

0:15:04.030,0:15:09.550
when we think about the time management

0:15:06.700,0:15:11.230
piece and time is constantly referred to

0:15:09.550,0:15:13.330
as one of the one of the finite

0:15:11.230,0:15:15.100
resources we have we’ve had we’ve

0:15:13.330,0:15:17.290
identified that as we’ve talked through

0:15:15.100,0:15:19.750
this but there’s a term in the

0:15:17.290,0:15:22.120
consulting space in the management space

0:15:19.750,0:15:24.160
that you’ll hear called utilization and

0:15:22.120,0:15:28.210
utilization is often used as a measure

0:15:24.160,0:15:30.100
of effectiveness of that specifically

0:15:28.210,0:15:32.530
related to billable time if you’re in a

0:15:30.100,0:15:34.720
in a consulting type of role I like to

0:15:32.530,0:15:35.140
use the term effective utilization when

0:15:34.720,0:15:37.300
you

0:15:35.140,0:15:40.750
based on the amount of time you actually

0:15:37.300,0:15:42.450
have to get work done which is the first

0:15:40.750,0:15:46.750
problem that people get into they

0:15:42.450,0:15:49.990
overestimate that number they then fail

0:15:46.750,0:15:53.170
to think about how much of that time is

0:15:49.990,0:15:54.850
then going to be effectively utilized to

0:15:53.170,0:15:56.860
accomplish the task they need and then

0:15:54.850,0:15:58.810
plan things accordingly so for example

0:15:56.860,0:16:00.370
if we go back to what was mentioned

0:15:58.810,0:16:03.040
earlier where we think about things like

0:16:00.370,0:16:06.579
out of a 24 hour day how many of those

0:16:03.040,0:16:09.970
hours do you actually have for execution

0:16:06.579,0:16:12.040
of productive tasks well if you take

0:16:09.970,0:16:13.390
your eight hours of sleep off which you

0:16:12.040,0:16:16.300
should because everybody needs their

0:16:13.390,0:16:19.300
sleep then you take off another 8 hours

0:16:16.300,0:16:20.950
of time not work-related just from a

0:16:19.300,0:16:22.540
planning purpose because you need time

0:16:20.950,0:16:24.339
in the morning to get things up and

0:16:22.540,0:16:26.649
moving you need time in the evenings for

0:16:24.339,0:16:28.360
your own things you need time for your

0:16:26.649,0:16:30.640
inter activities and your social

0:16:28.360,0:16:32.620
activities so now you’re down to a block

0:16:30.640,0:16:36.850
8 hour time very well how much of that

0:16:32.620,0:16:38.980
is actually effectively utilized you can

0:16:36.850,0:16:41.500
track through it you can track all the

0:16:38.980,0:16:43.540
starts and the stop a cab but what

0:16:41.500,0:16:44.620
normally happens is when you start to do

0:16:43.540,0:16:48.910
that all of a sudden you start to

0:16:44.620,0:16:51.160
realize that oh wait have five hours

0:16:48.910,0:16:54.279
maybe out of a given day that are

0:16:51.160,0:16:57.279
effectively being utilized to get work

0:16:54.279,0:16:59.110
done now that normally will result in a

0:16:57.279,0:17:01.360
panic oh my goodness I need to work

0:16:59.110,0:17:04.689
longer I need to work harder I need to

0:17:01.360,0:17:07.480
increase that number and my argument is

0:17:04.689,0:17:10.660
very simple no you don’t increasing that

0:17:07.480,0:17:12.910
number does not increase the effective

0:17:10.660,0:17:16.059
utilization all you’re doing is

0:17:12.910,0:17:18.280
spreading it out what you have to do is

0:17:16.059,0:17:20.799
you have to define your processes and

0:17:18.280,0:17:25.799
your systems to take maximum advantage

0:17:20.799,0:17:29.500
of that time that you’ve designated as

0:17:25.799,0:17:32.350
productively utilizable time for your

0:17:29.500,0:17:33.970
end goals it does take some tracking and

0:17:32.350,0:17:37.450
it takes some planning but it also takes

0:17:33.970,0:17:39.220
some personal honesty when you look in

0:17:37.450,0:17:44.160
the consulting space often you’ll hear

0:17:39.220,0:17:47.410
utilization numbers of like 75% 80% 85%

0:17:44.160,0:17:48.580
those are typical measures used on

0:17:47.410,0:17:51.700
consultants to say

0:17:48.580,0:17:53.230
how much of that time is billable to the

0:17:51.700,0:17:55.960
client you’re working with well if we

0:17:53.230,0:17:58.830
look at that for our own perspectives if

0:17:55.960,0:18:02.490
we’re working at let’s say 80%

0:17:58.830,0:18:05.260
utilization of our productive time and

0:18:02.490,0:18:06.850
it’s an eight-hour time block that we’re

0:18:05.260,0:18:09.279
thinking about well we’re really only

0:18:06.850,0:18:11.640
talking about six hours those end goals

0:18:09.279,0:18:13.659
if we don’t do that we’ll always

0:18:11.640,0:18:15.789
overestimate the amount of time we have

0:18:13.659,0:18:17.679
we’ll underestimate the amount of work

0:18:15.789,0:18:19.809
we need to do the two will be in

0:18:17.679,0:18:23.100
conflict and the thing that will suffer

0:18:19.809,0:18:25.960
is all of that incredibly valuable

0:18:23.100,0:18:28.149
personal time that is outside of our

0:18:25.960,0:18:30.820
work time that’s actually one of the

0:18:28.149,0:18:33.820
reasons why I so heavily have adopted

0:18:30.820,0:18:36.669
the idea of the unschedule which is from

0:18:33.820,0:18:39.100
the now habit by dr. Neil Fiore and I

0:18:36.669,0:18:41.139
will put a link to a video tutorial that

0:18:39.100,0:18:43.510
I actually have created for people to

0:18:41.139,0:18:46.419
use the unschedule to identify their

0:18:43.510,0:18:48.549
available hours and what discretionary

0:18:46.419,0:18:50.799
time they actually do have for this kind

0:18:48.549,0:18:53.110
of effective utilization so much

0:18:50.799,0:18:55.419
appreciated on on that level in terms of

0:18:53.110,0:18:58.389
those thoughts I wanted to shift our

0:18:55.419,0:19:00.070
conversation toward some of the issues

0:18:58.389,0:19:02.799
we encounter and I think we’ve started

0:19:00.070,0:19:04.240
to actually already discuss that but but

0:19:02.799,0:19:07.600
I wanted to talk a little bit further

0:19:04.240,0:19:10.120
about this topic and of what issues we

0:19:07.600,0:19:13.269
encounter when we go for speed and then

0:19:10.120,0:19:15.820
close out with the discussion about what

0:19:13.269,0:19:17.889
techniques we use in our own systems for

0:19:15.820,0:19:22.269
that so I’ll get started just very

0:19:17.889,0:19:24.880
briefly with my concept of the quality

0:19:22.269,0:19:26.950
over quantity perspective which is to

0:19:24.880,0:19:29.440
say that as Agusta was talking about a

0:19:26.950,0:19:32.440
little bit earlier you know leading off

0:19:29.440,0:19:34.840
of Francis’s thoughts you know my big

0:19:32.440,0:19:37.929
concern is that there is an impulsive

0:19:34.840,0:19:40.630
‘ti when it comes to human nature which

0:19:37.929,0:19:43.480
is that the short term rewards tend to

0:19:40.630,0:19:46.690
feel larger than the longer term rewards

0:19:43.480,0:19:49.600
and they also tend to have less effect

0:19:46.690,0:19:52.389
on us in terms of increasing the the

0:19:49.600,0:19:54.730
good endorphins right whether that be

0:19:52.389,0:19:57.940
oxytocin dopamine and serotonin and so

0:19:54.730,0:20:01.029
forth but the reality is is that we have

0:19:57.940,0:20:02.170
to really fight that urge sometimes to

0:20:01.029,0:20:05.410
go for speed

0:20:02.170,0:20:07.600
when the quantity of what we’re doing is

0:20:05.410,0:20:10.510
not necessarily the most effective

0:20:07.600,0:20:12.220
toward the quality of the outcome so we

0:20:10.510,0:20:14.050
need to really think about that and and

0:20:12.220,0:20:16.090
and this is it’s such a broad

0:20:14.050,0:20:18.370
philosophical approach I just I really

0:20:16.090,0:20:21.880
do think that people sometimes think

0:20:18.370,0:20:24.160
that they need to work really hard now

0:20:21.880,0:20:27.490
on something and then do nothing

0:20:24.160,0:20:28.990
afterward or wait a period of time you

0:20:27.490,0:20:31.060
know the procrastination that Francis

0:20:28.990,0:20:33.190
was talking about and then work really

0:20:31.060,0:20:35.560
hard toward the deadline or near the

0:20:33.190,0:20:37.360
deadline and in the end the quality of

0:20:35.560,0:20:40.590
what you’ve done is actually much lower

0:20:37.360,0:20:43.390
than the than what your standards are

0:20:40.590,0:20:46.750
but they’re built by all of these these

0:20:43.390,0:20:50.050
false assumptions false premises that

0:20:46.750,0:20:52.270
you are somehow doing better work closer

0:20:50.050,0:20:55.810
to a deadline than if you had metered it

0:20:52.270,0:20:59.290
out and really shot for quality there’s

0:20:55.810,0:21:02.110
actually research done on that very same

0:20:59.290,0:21:04.660
question there’s one one study that I

0:21:02.110,0:21:07.780
read that correlated students grades

0:21:04.660,0:21:09.700
with how much work they did closer to

0:21:07.780,0:21:12.010
the closest to the deadline and as you

0:21:09.700,0:21:14.620
can imagine students who waited until

0:21:12.010,0:21:18.040
the last minute performed more poorly

0:21:14.620,0:21:20.740
that thought of just kind of obvious to

0:21:18.040,0:21:22.980
anyone who’s been to college and tried

0:21:20.740,0:21:26.260
to study a whole lot to get good grades

0:21:22.980,0:21:29.290
but um but there’s another study that I

0:21:26.260,0:21:31.780
I read actually wrote the report which

0:21:29.290,0:21:34.450
is based partly on it dealing and it was

0:21:31.780,0:21:39.010
written for project managers and it had

0:21:34.450,0:21:43.690
to do with how well a project team

0:21:39.010,0:21:45.670
member budgets his or her time and this

0:21:43.690,0:21:48.130
researcher compared five different

0:21:45.670,0:21:50.020
methods I can’t quite remember all of

0:21:48.130,0:21:53.920
them but there’s some people who start

0:21:50.020,0:21:55.930
early and then finish finish slowly

0:21:53.920,0:21:57.550
people who do nothing in the beginning

0:21:55.930,0:22:01.690
and leave it all for the end people who

0:21:57.550,0:22:05.290
work at a constant rate people who start

0:22:01.690,0:22:08.230
early star sorry start slowly peak in

0:22:05.290,0:22:10.870
the middle and then end and slowly and

0:22:08.230,0:22:12.310
then people who start early and then at

0:22:10.870,0:22:14.260
the end they cramp up

0:22:12.310,0:22:16.660
rank up ramp up to the end

0:22:14.260,0:22:18.760
and they compared the different kinds of

0:22:16.660,0:22:21.640
productivity of these five people very

0:22:18.760,0:22:26.230
interesting study and it’s showed as you

0:22:21.640,0:22:28.990
may expect people who started early were

0:22:26.230,0:22:31.240
the most productive and the ones who

0:22:28.990,0:22:32.740
left it for the end or the worst people

0:22:31.240,0:22:34.870
to have on your team is because you

0:22:32.740,0:22:37.960
never knew what you were gonna get until

0:22:34.870,0:22:39.100
they were just finished at the end so

0:22:37.960,0:22:42.900
there’s there’s there there’s some

0:22:39.100,0:22:45.070
evidence that the the early planners are

0:22:42.900,0:22:47.230
more productive and it certainly are a

0:22:45.070,0:22:48.630
list of a pain in the butt to the other

0:22:47.230,0:22:51.580
people that they work with

0:22:48.630,0:22:55.210
you know secret to that Francis is that

0:22:51.580,0:22:57.550
I actually when I’m when I assemble a

0:22:55.210,0:23:00.430
new team you know at work

0:22:57.550,0:23:03.010
I will frequently ask people their work

0:23:00.430,0:23:04.510
styles and how they normally get a

0:23:03.010,0:23:07.810
project done and I usually use the

0:23:04.510,0:23:10.270
example of so you’re in a group you know

0:23:07.810,0:23:13.870
study environment or a group project in

0:23:10.270,0:23:16.180
in University and how who are you are

0:23:13.870,0:23:18.640
you the one who you know doesn’t respond

0:23:16.180,0:23:20.320
to people and gets you know stuff done

0:23:18.640,0:23:22.810
at the last minute and I give them the

0:23:20.320,0:23:24.400
opportunity to be be as honest and and

0:23:22.810,0:23:26.500
transparent as possible in that

0:23:24.400,0:23:30.370
environment and that way those people

0:23:26.500,0:23:32.620
can get the first deadlines and you know

0:23:30.370,0:23:36.670
sort of get the experience of being

0:23:32.620,0:23:39.580
successful because I genuinely believe

0:23:36.670,0:23:42.730
that if you are that kind of person you

0:23:39.580,0:23:45.130
likely had childhood experiences you

0:23:42.730,0:23:50.260
know adolescent experiences that that

0:23:45.130,0:23:52.990
taught you that being smart trumped hard

0:23:50.260,0:23:54.220
work and and there’s been quite a bit of

0:23:52.990,0:23:56.470
research on this right the you know the

0:23:54.220,0:23:58.840
idea that if we could tell children that

0:23:56.470,0:24:01.090
they’re smart and that their IQ is the

0:23:58.840,0:24:04.450
ultimate arbiter between success and

0:24:01.090,0:24:07.960
failure then hard work is a testament to

0:24:04.450,0:24:09.820
their stupidity so if if you are that

0:24:07.960,0:24:11.820
kind of person and you’ve been hearing

0:24:09.820,0:24:16.060
all your life that you know you’re smart

0:24:11.820,0:24:19.210
then you you see hard work as you know

0:24:16.060,0:24:22.030
me being stupid and and and that’s not

0:24:19.210,0:24:24.790
true and it needs to be quashed in your

0:24:22.030,0:24:26.720
own mind and giving people that those

0:24:24.790,0:24:29.090
little kinds of successes

0:24:26.720,0:24:31.809
helps to start the process for them to

0:24:29.090,0:24:35.840
be able to know that quality can be done

0:24:31.809,0:24:38.120
with hard work over time and come out

0:24:35.840,0:24:40.490
with a successful outcome on time and I

0:24:38.120,0:24:43.640
find that to be a productivity technique

0:24:40.490,0:24:46.490
that really really helps in the speech I

0:24:43.640,0:24:49.789
gave a speech on this topic to the PM a

0:24:46.490,0:24:53.179
couple years ago my advice was basically

0:24:49.789,0:24:58.400
try not to get the lazy try to get the

0:24:53.179,0:25:01.549
good that’s great that’s great

0:24:58.400,0:25:04.130
something like where assess what style

0:25:01.549,0:25:05.270
the person has an unknowing to them when

0:25:04.130,0:25:06.590
they tell you there’s that you can

0:25:05.270,0:25:11.929
figure out how productive they’re gonna

0:25:06.590,0:25:14.240
be but studies you mention is it’s quite

0:25:11.929,0:25:16.610
interesting that if we are referring to

0:25:14.240,0:25:18.650
the same on edges and there is a broken

0:25:16.610,0:25:20.720
eye of course the book escaped my mind

0:25:18.650,0:25:22.580
right now and it’s quite interesting by

0:25:20.720,0:25:26.450
Carol to Alec and his team of

0:25:22.580,0:25:31.039
researchers on this topic because

0:25:26.450,0:25:33.799
applies you know also to to us growing

0:25:31.039,0:25:35.870
up because like it or not we have been

0:25:33.799,0:25:40.640
on one side for both sides of that

0:25:35.870,0:25:43.549
equation I said earlier we tend to think

0:25:40.640,0:25:47.600
that we are going to have more time

0:25:43.549,0:25:51.260
tomorrow that is a big problem you know

0:25:47.600,0:25:53.900
it is a big issue because if we assume

0:25:51.260,0:25:56.419
that we are going to have more time that

0:25:53.900,0:25:58.039
also assume if we’re going to be able to

0:25:56.419,0:26:01.309
do more and we’re going to be more

0:25:58.039,0:26:03.770
effective more efficient but also hard

0:26:01.309,0:26:06.440
was failure there is a percentage of

0:26:03.770,0:26:08.480
that accusation and we can do and there

0:26:06.440,0:26:10.880
is a percentage after that point that

0:26:08.480,0:26:13.520
you’re not going to be impossible to

0:26:10.880,0:26:15.260
sorry you’re not you’re not a machine if

0:26:13.520,0:26:17.590
you come and tell me well that’s great

0:26:15.260,0:26:20.900
and the next week I need to perform at

0:26:17.590,0:26:26.690
135 percent well good luck it’s not

0:26:20.900,0:26:29.450
going to have okay and because of we

0:26:26.690,0:26:32.840
think we are going to have more time

0:26:29.450,0:26:37.850
when we try to do those things is when

0:26:32.840,0:26:38.840
we are drowning and if you’re drowning

0:26:37.850,0:26:41.210
and

0:26:38.840,0:26:44.180
instead of trying to move faster you try

0:26:41.210,0:26:47.570
to relax and float you have less chance

0:26:44.180,0:26:50.960
to drown that if you are instead trying

0:26:47.570,0:26:53.210
to now move your arms unless much faster

0:26:50.960,0:26:55.640
because what you do will doing that is

0:26:53.210,0:26:59.000
consumed much much energy much more

0:26:55.640,0:27:02.090
oxygen much more everything and the same

0:26:59.000,0:27:04.640
thing happens in product Hey

0:27:02.090,0:27:07.940
when you now go and say oh I need to

0:27:04.640,0:27:10.790
spit up and now I need to do seven 2008

0:27:07.940,0:27:13.130
yeah that’s a beautiful Theory except

0:27:10.790,0:27:15.710
that probably the only way to do that is

0:27:13.130,0:27:17.960
that you peak out of those 70 most of

0:27:15.710,0:27:20.030
them in my early need to be longhand

0:27:17.960,0:27:23.030
recruits or no brains related because

0:27:20.030,0:27:26.750
there is no other way to do so that is a

0:27:23.030,0:27:32.570
big issue but then we tend to think on a

0:27:26.750,0:27:36.200
speed on quantity and the reality is

0:27:32.570,0:27:39.110
that the relationship quantity speed

0:27:36.200,0:27:41.120
it’s not the real thing you know because

0:27:39.110,0:27:44.630
if you select out of your system and

0:27:41.120,0:27:48.380
delete all those things you’re anyways

0:27:44.630,0:27:50.500
going to have the same issues that were

0:27:48.380,0:27:54.260
causing the problem to begin with

0:27:50.500,0:27:57.140
low-hanging fruit things I don’t care if

0:27:54.260,0:28:00.380
you have 900 of them are not going to

0:27:57.140,0:28:03.110
produce value high level of anxiety that

0:28:00.380,0:28:04.700
is making you think oh I need to hurry

0:28:03.110,0:28:08.120
up I need to speed up a little bit

0:28:04.700,0:28:11.660
faster artists say that the number of

0:28:08.120,0:28:15.260
those it’s much much smaller and they

0:28:11.660,0:28:18.560
tend to be hidden between your system so

0:28:15.260,0:28:20.980
if you believe all those things that you

0:28:18.560,0:28:25.280
think you can be faster in the name of

0:28:20.980,0:28:28.270
quantity instead of quality you anyway

0:28:25.280,0:28:31.610
are going to end up with the same things

0:28:28.270,0:28:35.060
so it’s much better to stop or slow down

0:28:31.610,0:28:38.390
significantly so you can identify which

0:28:35.060,0:28:41.210
ones are those and then move them up so

0:28:38.390,0:28:43.850
the system can again they start moving

0:28:41.210,0:28:45.680
and working you’re right on the money

0:28:43.850,0:28:49.040
with that Agusta because when you think

0:28:45.680,0:28:51.440
about how much can you increase to get

0:28:49.040,0:28:52.770
greater productivity there’s a point of

0:28:51.440,0:28:54.660
diminishing return you

0:28:52.770,0:28:57.060
always have to look at the balance of

0:28:54.660,0:28:58.620
quantity and quality I mean when people

0:28:57.060,0:29:00.750
ask me what productivity actually means

0:28:58.620,0:29:02.490
I will typically answer that it means

0:29:00.750,0:29:07.280
doing the right things at the right time

0:29:02.490,0:29:09.630
in the right way and if you want an a

0:29:07.280,0:29:12.780
visualization for this picture making a

0:29:09.630,0:29:14.340
meal there are steps that you can do

0:29:12.780,0:29:16.050
while you’re cooking a meal to make

0:29:14.340,0:29:17.640
yourself more efficient doing all the

0:29:16.050,0:29:19.400
prep work and everything so you’re ready

0:29:17.640,0:29:23.100
to cook and those those types of things

0:29:19.400,0:29:26.190
but certain things take a certain amount

0:29:23.100,0:29:28.770
of time to happen you cannot make them

0:29:26.190,0:29:31.470
go any faster without diminishing the

0:29:28.770,0:29:34.190
quality of the end result and you have

0:29:31.470,0:29:38.160
to take that into consideration so

0:29:34.190,0:29:41.280
understanding where you can increase

0:29:38.160,0:29:44.040
your velocity without diminishing the

0:29:41.280,0:29:46.830
quality at the back end is really one of

0:29:44.040,0:29:49.260
the key tenants of productivity you

0:29:46.830,0:29:52.230
can’t increase everything it just won’t

0:29:49.260,0:29:54.270
work but there are key areas that you

0:29:52.230,0:29:56.070
can isolate and say oh okay I could get

0:29:54.270,0:29:59.430
more efficient here I get more efficient

0:29:56.070,0:30:02.910
there and have more time available for

0:29:59.430,0:30:05.730
the other parts of it but we really need

0:30:02.910,0:30:10.260
to get ourselves away from this mindset

0:30:05.730,0:30:12.840
of doing more means we’re being more

0:30:10.260,0:30:15.690
productive because there isn’t a

0:30:12.840,0:30:18.270
causality there we need to make sure

0:30:15.690,0:30:21.810
that we are doing the right things at

0:30:18.270,0:30:23.880
the right time in the right way to be

0:30:21.810,0:30:26.460
able to get to that quality of end

0:30:23.880,0:30:29.850
result that will make the difference for

0:30:26.460,0:30:34.290
us our selves and other people whether

0:30:29.850,0:30:35.580
it’s at work or at home you just defined

0:30:34.290,0:30:38.580
on the back end there aren’t the

0:30:35.580,0:30:40.500
penultimate definition of busyness in

0:30:38.580,0:30:42.870
terms of just doing things for doing

0:30:40.500,0:30:44.940
sake as opposed to doing the right

0:30:42.870,0:30:47.250
things at the right time with the right

0:30:44.940,0:30:49.740
resources there are so many more factors

0:30:47.250,0:30:51.690
when it comes to being effective that I

0:30:49.740,0:30:55.500
think sometimes people look to

0:30:51.690,0:30:57.540
efficiency and not that speed is one I

0:30:55.500,0:30:59.640
presume form of efficiency we can talk

0:30:57.540,0:31:01.560
about but the idea behind it is is

0:30:59.640,0:31:03.810
certainly sound I think that people

0:31:01.560,0:31:05.280
shouldn’t look to doing a bunch of tasks

0:31:03.810,0:31:06.119
that might be taking you in the wrong

0:31:05.280,0:31:07.859
direction

0:31:06.119,0:31:09.989
the way you could do you can do a lot of

0:31:07.859,0:31:12.449
work in the wrong direction instead of

0:31:09.989,0:31:14.309
understanding what direction you should

0:31:12.449,0:31:17.309
be headed finding that productive

0:31:14.309,0:31:20.639
compass and then and then going due

0:31:17.309,0:31:24.889
north effectively as needed I want us to

0:31:20.639,0:31:27.809
shift gears now in how do we utilize

0:31:24.889,0:31:29.459
some speed techniques in our own

0:31:27.809,0:31:31.619
productivity system and where do you

0:31:29.459,0:31:33.509
sometimes feel like you have dramatic

0:31:31.619,0:31:36.529
gains because of it and perhaps some of

0:31:33.509,0:31:40.859
the potential shortfalls from doing so

0:31:36.529,0:31:42.979
for me is a matter of two things so

0:31:40.859,0:31:46.229
there’s two things I use a subclinical

0:31:42.979,0:31:51.299
specifics one if I said if I do review

0:31:46.229,0:31:54.449
more often when I start feeling call it

0:31:51.299,0:31:57.239
overwhelm or they need to speed up for

0:31:54.449,0:32:01.319
those things the first thing for me is

0:31:57.239,0:32:03.779
go back to a review assistant because I

0:32:01.319,0:32:06.389
understand that if I get in all those

0:32:03.779,0:32:10.109
feelings that I need to speed up meaning

0:32:06.389,0:32:12.419
I have more tasks at the time I have to

0:32:10.109,0:32:15.749
do them I need to make sure that every

0:32:12.419,0:32:18.659
task I think is the best possible task

0:32:15.749,0:32:22.129
for the conditions I have on that moment

0:32:18.659,0:32:25.649
so on that moment I tend to go almost

0:32:22.129,0:32:28.049
task by task a top thing that I tend to

0:32:25.649,0:32:30.179
go is three by you know three tasks at

0:32:28.049,0:32:32.819
the time and no more so I go to my

0:32:30.179,0:32:35.399
system pick three of them and I start

0:32:32.819,0:32:38.759
just focusing on those three and

0:32:35.399,0:32:41.189
sometimes I do want and after that one

0:32:38.759,0:32:43.439
is finish up I need to recalibrate go

0:32:41.189,0:32:47.669
back to review let’s call it technique

0:32:43.439,0:32:50.459
number one the second one that I do is I

0:32:47.669,0:32:53.729
tend to do what I thought five years ago

0:32:50.459,0:32:56.579
was extraordinary our the story Murray

0:32:53.729,0:33:00.209
our is basically a time a week where I

0:32:56.579,0:33:02.129
just go and think I don’t work I don’t

0:33:00.209,0:33:04.619
work on my list I’m not trying to

0:33:02.129,0:33:08.729
accomplish a lot of things I’m trying to

0:33:04.619,0:33:12.209
think and I have discovered that when I

0:33:08.729,0:33:15.899
am on those moments where I feel I need

0:33:12.209,0:33:18.659
a lot more speed thinking it’s much more

0:33:15.899,0:33:20.020
effective for me and try to knock these

0:33:18.659,0:33:23.070
caramel

0:33:20.020,0:33:27.280
so when that happened I tend to AH

0:33:23.070,0:33:29.770
perforce that time to think and I

0:33:27.280,0:33:33.429
understand from an outsider perspective

0:33:29.770,0:33:35.080
sometimes people may have come to my

0:33:33.429,0:33:36.760
office and look at me like I tell you

0:33:35.080,0:33:38.770
were really busy but you are looking at

0:33:36.760,0:33:40.420
this on the bestest right now and I said

0:33:38.770,0:33:42.280
yep that’s exactly the reason I’m

0:33:40.420,0:33:44.160
looking at that message it’s a really

0:33:42.280,0:33:48.309
vision and it seems completely

0:33:44.160,0:33:50.380
counterproductive but what has happened

0:33:48.309,0:33:53.440
is sometimes you look at your system is

0:33:50.380,0:33:56.620
I need to solve problem a and you’re

0:33:53.440,0:33:59.170
thinking no problem a – away and after

0:33:56.620,0:34:01.540
you spend some time thinking you say oh

0:33:59.170,0:34:02.170
you see I will have done this three

0:34:01.540,0:34:04.600
tasks

0:34:02.170,0:34:06.700
– so Power Man when if you do it this

0:34:04.600,0:34:10.179
color way do you a much more permanent

0:34:06.700,0:34:12.310
solution a nice one for me if spending

0:34:10.179,0:34:15.790
time on that thing that I called

0:34:12.310,0:34:18.010
extraordinary hour it’s so useful for me

0:34:15.790,0:34:20.379
I have a sort of a strange answer which

0:34:18.010,0:34:22.360
is that don’t I don’t do anything no why

0:34:20.379,0:34:25.359
would I say that it actually gets to

0:34:22.360,0:34:27.129
something that you had said before rain

0:34:25.359,0:34:31.000
you’re asking about the emotional

0:34:27.129,0:34:34.300
experience of wanting more speed I find

0:34:31.000,0:34:38.020
that if I find that I think I need more

0:34:34.300,0:34:40.540
speed I’m usually wrong that really what

0:34:38.020,0:34:42.070
I need is something else kind of along

0:34:40.540,0:34:44.470
the lines of what I busto said which is

0:34:42.070,0:34:46.570
any better planning because if I feel as

0:34:44.470,0:34:49.090
if I’m falling behind it means it may

0:34:46.570,0:34:51.250
seem as if speeding up will help me to

0:34:49.090,0:34:53.859
catch up and usually in my case that’s

0:34:51.250,0:34:55.450
not true it usually is a function of

0:34:53.859,0:34:58.119
something else like I’m not planning

0:34:55.450,0:35:00.790
enough or I’m not planning my calendar

0:34:58.119,0:35:03.190
accurately enough it’s it’s what I’m

0:35:00.790,0:35:07.830
planning is way off of what I’m actually

0:35:03.190,0:35:10.570
doing in reality so the the the symptom

0:35:07.830,0:35:13.359
which is that I’m falling behind isn’t

0:35:10.570,0:35:15.940
solved by looking for more speed looking

0:35:13.359,0:35:18.490
for speed is in my case anyway a bit of

0:35:15.940,0:35:20.230
an error because it’s not the answer to

0:35:18.490,0:35:22.510
the problem I’m trying to solve it may

0:35:20.230,0:35:25.330
seem that way and at some point in my

0:35:22.510,0:35:26.980
life I think it was but where am right

0:35:25.330,0:35:28.359
know me with some more grey here and a

0:35:26.980,0:35:30.640
little more experience and some wisdom

0:35:28.359,0:35:32.800
that it’s morisoli well augusto is

0:35:30.640,0:35:33.730
pointing out which is sort of stepping

0:35:32.800,0:35:35.710
back to think

0:35:33.730,0:35:39.070
all been saying this stepping back to

0:35:35.710,0:35:42.369
analyze and think what is the best

0:35:39.070,0:35:44.470
intervention to make and for me it’s

0:35:42.369,0:35:47.619
it’s no it is it’s never a case of

0:35:44.470,0:35:49.000
wanting more speed that’s it’s usually

0:35:47.619,0:35:51.369
never the answer

0:35:49.000,0:35:53.800
to whatever symptom unwanted symptom I’m

0:35:51.369,0:35:56.200
experiencing now having said all of that

0:35:53.800,0:35:57.760
there is a whole nother angle I thought

0:35:56.200,0:36:00.970
I’d throw in which I think is important

0:35:57.760,0:36:02.140
but I do and is that I travel I noticed

0:36:00.970,0:36:05.410
this when I used to travel back to

0:36:02.140,0:36:09.490
Jamaica from the US what I would have to

0:36:05.410,0:36:11.950
do is mentally change my headspace

0:36:09.490,0:36:13.630
I’d have to slow down because the pace

0:36:11.950,0:36:15.910
of life in Jamaica is much slower than

0:36:13.630,0:36:18.100
it is in most parts of the US and

0:36:15.910,0:36:20.859
there’s a great great whole line of

0:36:18.100,0:36:22.690
study on this there’s one article the

0:36:20.859,0:36:24.910
one piece of research done on comparing

0:36:22.690,0:36:28.119
the piece of life between six countries

0:36:24.910,0:36:29.410
and they compared six things for

0:36:28.119,0:36:32.230
developed and undeveloped countries

0:36:29.410,0:36:33.730
Japan is in there u.s. Indonesia they

0:36:32.230,0:36:36.190
measured how fast it takes to get a

0:36:33.730,0:36:40.570
transaction done at the post office how

0:36:36.190,0:36:43.510
fast people walk in the cities and the

0:36:40.570,0:36:45.490
third one was how accurate are the

0:36:43.510,0:36:49.090
public clocks like the clocks you’d see

0:36:45.490,0:36:51.340
in a clock tower and sure enough Japan

0:36:49.090,0:36:54.250
was sort of like a clear winner people

0:36:51.340,0:36:56.650
walk the fastest the transactions are

0:36:54.250,0:36:59.500
the shortest and the public clocks are

0:36:56.650,0:37:00.910
the most accurate and here in Jamaica I

0:36:59.500,0:37:03.460
can tell you we have a problem with all

0:37:00.910,0:37:04.450
those three areas and the problems will

0:37:03.460,0:37:07.480
be going on for years

0:37:04.450,0:37:09.540
so what traveling does is it shows me

0:37:07.480,0:37:13.450
that there is ways to be more productive

0:37:09.540,0:37:15.550
and that my own culture can often be an

0:37:13.450,0:37:18.730
impediment and if I don’t travel enough

0:37:15.550,0:37:22.810
I actually can sense myself getting

0:37:18.730,0:37:25.119
stuck in sort of a piece that if I don’t

0:37:22.810,0:37:27.280
travel I would never escape from those

0:37:25.119,0:37:29.380
are a couple of things I do if if I

0:37:27.280,0:37:31.570
think about the process that I execute

0:37:29.380,0:37:35.070
probably the most important one it kind

0:37:31.570,0:37:38.170
of stems off of previous cast is the

0:37:35.070,0:37:40.840
resetting of my activities getting back

0:37:38.170,0:37:43.840
into that cycle of right thing right

0:37:40.840,0:37:47.870
time right way I have to mentally step

0:37:43.840,0:37:51.740
stop and say okay I’ve now devalued my

0:37:47.870,0:37:53.210
because I’m working a lot harder to get

0:37:51.740,0:37:56.420
things done that shouldn’t take that

0:37:53.210,0:37:58.910
level of hard work however and I’ll echo

0:37:56.420,0:38:02.930
what you were saying earlier ray there

0:37:58.910,0:38:06.050
are times that working smarter with air

0:38:02.930,0:38:07.940
quotes around it doesn’t actually get

0:38:06.050,0:38:10.730
the work done there are times where you

0:38:07.940,0:38:14.000
actually have to work hard to do it and

0:38:10.730,0:38:16.760
you have to allow time to execute that

0:38:14.000,0:38:18.980
fact and often that’s a procrastination

0:38:16.760,0:38:20.690
point yes I’m really gonna have to sit

0:38:18.980,0:38:22.430
and crank these widgets for the next

0:38:20.690,0:38:24.620
four hours to get this accomplished

0:38:22.430,0:38:26.210
there’s no fancy macro that I can write

0:38:24.620,0:38:29.060
there’s no code piece I can download

0:38:26.210,0:38:34.130
from the internet I’m just going to have

0:38:29.060,0:38:36.770
to do this work and being able to set

0:38:34.130,0:38:39.230
that expectation for myself and assign a

0:38:36.770,0:38:42.620
value to the time above but I’m about to

0:38:39.230,0:38:44.630
expend to do that helps me understand a

0:38:42.620,0:38:47.780
little bit the importance and

0:38:44.630,0:38:50.030
reprioritize the importance on the flip

0:38:47.780,0:38:51.110
side just as a thought that occurred to

0:38:50.030,0:38:53.060
me one of the things you have to be

0:38:51.110,0:38:55.070
careful of if you look at something

0:38:53.060,0:38:57.860
you’re doing and you’re constantly able

0:38:55.070,0:39:00.110
to cut pieces off of it and trim it down

0:38:57.860,0:39:01.910
and and streamline it and make it that

0:39:00.110,0:39:03.800
much more efficient and you have to

0:39:01.910,0:39:06.110
wonder well why was I doing it so hard

0:39:03.800,0:39:08.210
in the first place why was it taking so

0:39:06.110,0:39:10.250
much time in the first place is it

0:39:08.210,0:39:12.950
that’s how I received it and I was just

0:39:10.250,0:39:15.740
acting on it the way it was given or did

0:39:12.950,0:39:17.510
I not give myself the planning time as

0:39:15.740,0:39:20.150
has been mentioned on the call already

0:39:17.510,0:39:22.610
did I not give myself the opportunity to

0:39:20.150,0:39:25.940
think about this and we really don’t

0:39:22.610,0:39:29.240
spend enough time in that creative

0:39:25.940,0:39:32.450
process analysis giving ourselves that

0:39:29.240,0:39:34.790
valued the valued sharpening of the saw

0:39:32.450,0:39:37.190
in this particular case making sure that

0:39:34.790,0:39:39.800
we’re going to be efficient where we can

0:39:37.190,0:39:42.500
be efficient so for me I always have to

0:39:39.800,0:39:47.530
back up and say okay what’s an hour

0:39:42.500,0:39:51.740
worth and is this worth spending that

0:39:47.530,0:39:54.170
you know our currency on and how can I

0:39:51.740,0:39:57.380
get the most from my value the most

0:39:54.170,0:40:00.590
speed oriented thing I do is dealing

0:39:57.380,0:40:01.520
with inboxes and I think the technique

0:40:00.590,0:40:03.560
that really helps

0:40:01.520,0:40:05.600
me a little bit of a more I think this

0:40:03.560,0:40:08.150
is a practical approach type of

0:40:05.600,0:40:10.610
technique and is to be able to

0:40:08.150,0:40:12.920
centralize my communications as much as

0:40:10.610,0:40:16.820
possible what do I mean by that

0:40:12.920,0:40:19.850
what I do is I force almost every type

0:40:16.820,0:40:22.430
of communication into my email inbox

0:40:19.850,0:40:25.550
and you’ll say oh my gosh you’re crazy

0:40:22.430,0:40:28.370
Raymond but hear me out the reality is

0:40:25.550,0:40:30.920
is that if you have a voicemail box

0:40:28.370,0:40:32.600
where people leave voice based messages

0:40:30.920,0:40:34.070
I don’t know maybe some people listening

0:40:32.600,0:40:35.540
on this think this is a strange concept

0:40:34.070,0:40:39.590
but people still do this they leave

0:40:35.540,0:40:42.590
voicemail messages and I have those

0:40:39.590,0:40:44.870
forwarded to my email inbox I have text

0:40:42.590,0:40:48.560
messages forwarded to my email inbox I

0:40:44.870,0:40:50.210
have email from all of the various email

0:40:48.560,0:40:53.180
accounts that I have for work and

0:40:50.210,0:40:55.190
personal life faxes these are these are

0:40:53.180,0:40:57.590
paper documents people put in a machine

0:40:55.190,0:40:59.000
and then it scans a digital image of it

0:40:57.590,0:41:00.740
and then transmitted that emits that

0:40:59.000,0:41:03.080
over telephone lines and then that shows

0:41:00.740,0:41:05.300
up in paper printed on the other side I

0:41:03.080,0:41:06.860
know again this might be a very foreign

0:41:05.300,0:41:09.650
thing to some of our younger listeners

0:41:06.860,0:41:13.850
but people used to do this instead of

0:41:09.650,0:41:17.290
just emailing a PDF and so I actually

0:41:13.850,0:41:20.540
have a fax to email service that sends

0:41:17.290,0:41:22.730
documents to my email as PDFs and and

0:41:20.540,0:41:27.200
what this does writ large is that it

0:41:22.730,0:41:29.600
creates a one as few places for me to

0:41:27.200,0:41:31.160
have to process and I use the FIFO

0:41:29.600,0:41:33.440
method which is first in and first out

0:41:31.160,0:41:35.840
so I reverse my inboxes so the oldest

0:41:33.440,0:41:38.450
stuff shows up at the top and then I

0:41:35.840,0:41:41.180
just power through the things from the

0:41:38.450,0:41:43.100
top to bottom and that allows me to deal

0:41:41.180,0:41:45.200
with all communications as much as

0:41:43.100,0:41:47.540
possible all communications including

0:41:45.200,0:41:49.580
scanned Yale you know so as mail comes

0:41:47.540,0:41:52.580
into my office or other places they are

0:41:49.580,0:41:55.040
then digitized and then they’re emailed

0:41:52.580,0:41:58.130
into my inbox as well so I’m able to

0:41:55.040,0:41:59.810
deal with those things in the most

0:41:58.130,0:42:01.880
efficient manner for me which is I’m

0:41:59.810,0:42:04.850
used to and very comfortable with

0:42:01.880,0:42:06.700
processing email so just just a thought

0:42:04.850,0:42:10.040
for those folks it can feel overwhelming

0:42:06.700,0:42:11.990
at first and so for those who might try

0:42:10.040,0:42:14.510
to implement this you really do have to

0:42:11.990,0:42:15.140
think through the approaches creating

0:42:14.510,0:42:17.210
your own set

0:42:15.140,0:42:19.070
rubrics for how you’re going to deal

0:42:17.210,0:42:21.260
with different types of material all

0:42:19.070,0:42:22.910
coming into a centralized space right so

0:42:21.260,0:42:25.070
I’m not going to deal with that facts

0:42:22.910,0:42:27.950
coming into my inbox the same as I’m

0:42:25.070,0:42:30.380
going to deal with an email but the same

0:42:27.950,0:42:32.750
things apply in the sense that you

0:42:30.380,0:42:34.310
either need to respond to it or you need

0:42:32.750,0:42:35.810
to do something and then respond to it

0:42:34.310,0:42:37.520
and then you sort of create that that

0:42:35.810,0:42:39.590
umbrella I mean starting at the top

0:42:37.520,0:42:41.150
which is this is not useful this is not

0:42:39.590,0:42:43.910
actionable and I can just delete it

0:42:41.150,0:42:45.230
right and then oh this really has

0:42:43.910,0:42:47.120
something that I can respond to

0:42:45.230,0:42:47.540
immediately great I can respond to that

0:42:47.120,0:42:49.970
right now

0:42:47.540,0:42:51.620
and then finally I have something that I

0:42:49.970,0:42:53.390
need to respond to I need to do

0:42:51.620,0:42:55.190
something first and then respond maybe

0:42:53.390,0:42:57.350
perhaps with that outcome and so

0:42:55.190,0:42:59.240
therefore that’s going to be track

0:42:57.350,0:43:01.340
stacked and maintained so that I can go

0:42:59.240,0:43:03.980
ahead and continue processing my inbox

0:43:01.340,0:43:05.930
so I just use that premise of being able

0:43:03.980,0:43:08.270
to centralize as much as possible all

0:43:05.930,0:43:10.670
communications so that I’m not looking

0:43:08.270,0:43:12.290
in 40 different places and this of

0:43:10.670,0:43:14.840
course has the failing that there are a

0:43:12.290,0:43:17.990
bunch of chat apps now Facebook has

0:43:14.840,0:43:20.390
messenger whatsapp and every every

0:43:17.990,0:43:22.550
social network has its own private

0:43:20.390,0:43:24.170
messaging tool so you have a bunch of

0:43:22.550,0:43:26.810
inboxes in all of these types of places

0:43:24.170,0:43:27.800
you can’t get all of them centralized

0:43:26.810,0:43:29.570
yet

0:43:27.800,0:43:32.210
and I hope that we do get to that point

0:43:29.570,0:43:35.030
but as much as possible I really do try

0:43:32.210,0:43:37.850
to centralize we are now at the top of

0:43:35.030,0:43:40.280
our show time do you have any final

0:43:37.850,0:43:41.840
thoughts before we close out yeah we

0:43:40.280,0:43:47.300
need to finish the show so we kind of

0:43:41.840,0:43:49.100
speed up in productivity I don’t know I

0:43:47.300,0:43:51.680
think our utilization numbers are

0:43:49.100,0:43:52.400
probably pretty high today so I feel

0:43:51.680,0:43:55.100
good about that

0:43:52.400,0:43:57.500
me too yeah same here that closes out

0:43:55.100,0:44:00.530
another episode of productivity casts I

0:43:57.500,0:44:03.830
am glad we had this conversation about

0:44:00.530,0:44:06.200
speed I hope you all are and here’s your

0:44:03.830,0:44:09.020
productive life thank you thanks guys be

0:44:06.200,0:44:11.960
well everyone that’s it for this episode

0:44:09.020,0:44:14.390
of productivity cast the weekly show

0:44:11.960,0:44:17.090
about all things productivity with your

0:44:14.390,0:44:19.510
hosts Ray Sidney-Smith and Augusto

0:44:17.090,0:44:19.510
Pinaud

 

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