Expert insights. Personalized for you.
One of the things that came out of the 2020 Reader Survey is that people are struggling with energy management. I’m not a naturally energetic person. In fact, some of those same readers made the comment that not everyone has energy to manage everything that I do. MORE
Our roomba killed itself. Should I replace it? Today I look at the deciding factor: the return on investment (ROI). The post The Roomba Died: An Example of ROI appeared first on Laura Earnest. MORE
At the beginning of COVID, I had plans. I was going to knock so much off of my Someday lists. But I realized I was busy, but not productive. The post Busy? Or Productive? appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living oct08 update MORE
In Chapter 2 of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity , David Allen spells out the four criteria model for choosing the next thing to do. He says that you choose what to do next based on (in this order) context, time available, energy and priority. MORE
If you are looking to stop wasting time in your day, block scheduling can seem like a really good idea. I tried it for a few weeks, and I have found that it has pros and cons. What is Block Scheduling? MORE
Today we will talk about deliberate living: what it is, why it isn’t the same as “intentional living” and what it means. Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 42: Deliberate Living appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living Podcast MORE
Time blocking is a great way to get things done. But it doesn't mean putting all of your tasks on your calendar. Want to make me cringe? Tell me you put all of your tasks on your calendar so that you have time set aside to do them. Just no. Today we'll talk about how to do effective time blocking. MORE
Most of us consider backups as something someone else does to our computers. But it's important to have backups of things that are crucial to your productivity, whether they are computer-based or not. The post Podcast Episode 41: Backups for All Critical Systems appeared first on Laura Earnest. MORE
Working from home.many of us are doing it right now. Some are doing it better than others. So how can you make working from home successful? MORE
2020 has sucked on so many levels, in so many ways. I'm tired, as I'm sure most people are, of being confined. I caught myself in a negative thought spiral the other day. And that doesn't do me any good. Because once I'm caught in that, it takes a lot of effort to get out. MORE
It's been a year since most of us entered isolation. What have you been doing with your time? The post Podcast Episode 43: A COVID Year Introspection appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast Time Management MORE
For many years I have been on a media fast. I started about 8 years ago, when I realized that I was shouting at the radio on my way to work, and my anger and stress levels were constantly elevated. So I took a break. MORE
There are days when I am overwhelmed. I still haven’t learned to only put on my task list what I can actually do. Today we will look at how to scale back your task list. I approach my task list from the standpoint that if it is on there, I have committed to do it…today. MORE
Sometimes it is hard to get going. Like a battery left too long inactive in the cold, we can't get started on what we need to do. Here are my six favorite ways to jump start a task: The post 6 Favorite Ways to Jump Start A Task appeared first on Laura Earnest. Procrastination MORE
Wishing you and your families very happy holidays. Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 37: Happy Holidays appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast MORE
One of the things I constantly remind myself of is that it's not enough to look forward. Plans, goals and steps all have their place; but if I don't look back to see the lessons from the past, I am missing a large part of the picture. MORE
Saying no is a crucial skill to learn if you are going to be in charge of your life. Today we will look at when and why to say no, how it's not always a black and white answer, and various ways to say no. The post Podcast Episode 28: Saying No appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast MORE
Yak shaving is an extreme form of distraction, as well as procrastination. So is overthinking. We talk about both of these today, as well as how to get back on track. The post Podcast Episode 39: Yak Shaving, Overthinking and Getting Back On Track appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast MORE
What would your ideal day look like? You might be surprised what ends up on the list, and what doesn't. The post What Would Your Ideal Day Look Like? appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living MORE
Did you ever wish that you could have a visual indicator to tell people when you were busy at work? It's worse now that we're all working from home. Enter Luxafor flags. The post Luxafor Flags: A Traffic Light For Your Desk appeared first on Laura Earnest. Productivity aff MORE
I'm going about my normal life and WHAM! the holidays are right there. And that means I'm going to miss some sort of deadline. I have a fix. The post And The Holiday Season Is Upon Us appeared first on Laura Earnest. Organization Planning MORE
Given that I was extremely busy during November, it was good to have a pre-planned chart of challenges to follow. I used the one I found at Good Housekeeping. It was the first time I had used a pre-made list. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Mental Health Boosting appeared first on Laura Earnest. MORE
In this episode, we talk about when procrastination is a lack of clarity; approaches to stopping procrastination; and ten specific anti-procrastination methods. Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 45: Procrastination appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast Procrastination MORE
I am a terrible gardener. But I do try. Every year. And every year I have less than stellar results. I sat down and tried to pinpoint the causes of my many failures. I made a list, and realized that they apply to personal development as well. MORE
There is only one thing you need to do to get things done, no matter what the time frame or task. It's very simple, yet profound. And still many people won't do it. Want to know this secret? Today we'll look at the secret and why most people don't do it. MORE
One of the things people constantly ask me is what tools I use. It’s like they expect I have some magic set of tools that makes productivity easy for me. Nope. I use some easily accessible tools, and most of them are free. So today I will talk about my favorite tools. MORE
This has been a hell of a year. COVID has put a stress on most working people, if it left them employed at all. I've been working at home since March, and there is no sign of returning to the office. Yet our team is thriving. Someone recently asked me why I thought that was the case. MORE
One of the common pieces of productivity wisdom is "turn your cell phone off." I agree that smart phones can be a distraction. It all comes down to managing the usage. And I leave mine on, even when I need to concentrate. Here's why. MORE
A picture is worth a thousand words, or so the saying goes. In our modern lives, we focus on text: text messages, emails, web pages, books, newsletters. But sometimes a picture is a better way to capture information. And with cameras on phones, it becomes even easier. MORE
I am infinitely distractible, particularly when I am doing something that hasn't captured my imagination. I believe that concentration can be learned. I've managed to improve my concentration skills over the years. MORE
It's one thing to make deliberate choices when the choices are easy. But what can you do when there are too many to choose from and they all need to be done yesterday? What do you do when you're overwhelmed? Overwhelm is a common problem and can stop people from doing anything. MORE
My mother was a stay-at-home mom. Her cleaning system wasn't going to work for me as a working mom. But the one system that seemed to work stopped working when we moved into a bigger space. Here's how I stopped doing marathon cleaning sessions and got it under control. MORE
In today's episodes, we look at: What is enough? Tinkering. Innovation vs. Standardization (routines). The post Podcast Episode 35: Enough, Tinkering and Routines appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast Productivity MORE
The two-minute rule says that if you can deal with it in under 2 minutes, do it right then. In some cases, I think this is a good rule. But in others, I think batching is a better way to go. Batching is grouping like tasks together and getting them done. MORE
In 2008, I thought I was on my way to having my ideal day in reality. Even without work showing up on that list. Be careful what you wish for. The post What Happens When You Are Forced Have Your Ideal Day? appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living MORE
In this epsiode I talk about what I do instead of New Year’s resolutions: Picking a word of the year Brainstorming Vision boards 12 week plans as well as how I approach changing habits. MORE
In the recent reader survey, several people asked me how I managed to get everything done and have so much energy. Today's episode divulges my secret. The post Podcast Episode 34: How I Get It All Done appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast MORE
There can be great value in looking at what you've been doing, and deciding to do it differently. It can be something as small as switching unhealthy food for healthy, or as part of a major life overhaul. I've done both). This year my eye fell on the blog. MORE
Today I'm going to talk about the skills I think everyone should be able to do to be self-sufficient - and why. The post Podcast Episode 38: 20 Life Skills You Should Have…Or Teach appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast MORE
In this episode, I will be talking about why a task list won’t make you productive how a will-do list can help you overcome overwhelm using contexts on closed lists Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 44: Tasks, Contexts and Will-Do Lists appeared first on Laura Earnest. MORE
Is it possible to have a tech-free day in the time of COVID? I don't think it's entirely possible - at least not on a recurring basis. But I think it's possible to have a low-tech day. Here's how I did it. The post Having A Low-Tech Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living MORE
Today we're going to talk about complication, and how it often leads to us not reaching our aims. This could be in the systems we set up to reach our goals, or extra steps to get something done at home, or even just getting set in our ways. MORE
Time blocking is a great way to get things done efficiently. Today I show you how I do time blocking, including pictures of an actual day's result. The post A Practical Time Blocking Example appeared first on Laura Earnest. Productivity aff aweber MORE
In hindsight, I can see that he was spoiling for a fight. There was nothing I could say that wasn't going to be twisted around and fired back at me. But I didn't see it at the time and made the assumption that I was dealing with someone who wanted to make a differing point heard. MORE
Simple Productivity Blog
MAY 4, 2021
Today we're going to talk about complication, and how it often leads to us not reaching our aims. This could be in the systems we set up to reach our goals, or extra steps to get something done at home, or even just getting set in our ways.
Simple Productivity Blog
MAY 2, 2021
Is it possible to have a tech-free day in the time of COVID? I don't think it's entirely possible - at least not on a recurring basis. But I think it's possible to have a low-tech day. Here's how I did it. The post Having A Low-Tech Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 25, 2021
Our roomba killed itself. Should I replace it? Today I look at the deciding factor: the return on investment (ROI). The post The Roomba Died: An Example of ROI appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 20, 2021
In this episode, we talk about when procrastination is a lack of clarity; approaches to stopping procrastination; and ten specific anti-procrastination methods. Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 45: Procrastination appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast Procrastination
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 18, 2021
At the beginning of COVID, I had plans. I was going to knock so much off of my Someday lists. But I realized I was busy, but not productive. The post Busy? Or Productive? appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living oct08 update
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 11, 2021
I am infinitely distractible, particularly when I am doing something that hasn't captured my imagination. I believe that concentration can be learned. I've managed to improve my concentration skills over the years.
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 6, 2021
In this episode, I will be talking about why a task list won’t make you productive how a will-do list can help you overcome overwhelm using contexts on closed lists Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 44: Tasks, Contexts and Will-Do Lists appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 4, 2021
In 2008, I thought I was on my way to having my ideal day in reality. Even without work showing up on that list. Be careful what you wish for. The post What Happens When You Are Forced Have Your Ideal Day? appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 28, 2021
If you are looking to stop wasting time in your day, block scheduling can seem like a really good idea. I tried it for a few weeks, and I have found that it has pros and cons. What is Block Scheduling?
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 21, 2021
One of the common pieces of productivity wisdom is "turn your cell phone off." I agree that smart phones can be a distraction. It all comes down to managing the usage. And I leave mine on, even when I need to concentrate. Here's why.
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 16, 2021
It's been a year since most of us entered isolation. What have you been doing with your time? The post Podcast Episode 43: A COVID Year Introspection appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast Time Management
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 14, 2021
A picture is worth a thousand words, or so the saying goes. In our modern lives, we focus on text: text messages, emails, web pages, books, newsletters. But sometimes a picture is a better way to capture information. And with cameras on phones, it becomes even easier.
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 7, 2021
Sometimes it is hard to get going. Like a battery left too long inactive in the cold, we can't get started on what we need to do. Here are my six favorite ways to jump start a task: The post 6 Favorite Ways to Jump Start A Task appeared first on Laura Earnest. Procrastination
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 2, 2021
Today we will talk about deliberate living: what it is, why it isn’t the same as “intentional living” and what it means. Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 42: Deliberate Living appeared first on Laura Earnest. Deliberate Living Podcast
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 28, 2021
I am a terrible gardener. But I do try. Every year. And every year I have less than stellar results. I sat down and tried to pinpoint the causes of my many failures. I made a list, and realized that they apply to personal development as well.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 17, 2021
There is only one thing you need to do to get things done, no matter what the time frame or task. It's very simple, yet profound. And still many people won't do it. Want to know this secret? Today we'll look at the secret and why most people don't do it.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 21, 2021
There are days when I am overwhelmed. I still haven’t learned to only put on my task list what I can actually do. Today we will look at how to scale back your task list. I approach my task list from the standpoint that if it is on there, I have committed to do it…today.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 16, 2021
Most of us consider backups as something someone else does to our computers. But it's important to have backups of things that are crucial to your productivity, whether they are computer-based or not. The post Podcast Episode 41: Backups for All Critical Systems appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
Did you ever wish that you could have a visual indicator to tell people when you were busy at work? It's worse now that we're all working from home. Enter Luxafor flags. The post Luxafor Flags: A Traffic Light For Your Desk appeared first on Laura Earnest. Productivity aff
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 7, 2021
It's one thing to make deliberate choices when the choices are easy. But what can you do when there are too many to choose from and they all need to be done yesterday? What do you do when you're overwhelmed? Overwhelm is a common problem and can stop people from doing anything.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 2, 2021
In Chapter 2 of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity , David Allen spells out the four criteria model for choosing the next thing to do. He says that you choose what to do next based on (in this order) context, time available, energy and priority.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 31, 2021
For many years I have been on a media fast. I started about 8 years ago, when I realized that I was shouting at the radio on my way to work, and my anger and stress levels were constantly elevated. So I took a break.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 24, 2021
In hindsight, I can see that he was spoiling for a fight. There was nothing I could say that wasn't going to be twisted around and fired back at me. But I didn't see it at the time and made the assumption that I was dealing with someone who wanted to make a differing point heard.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 19, 2021
Yak shaving is an extreme form of distraction, as well as procrastination. So is overthinking. We talk about both of these today, as well as how to get back on track. The post Podcast Episode 39: Yak Shaving, Overthinking and Getting Back On Track appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 10, 2021
There can be great value in looking at what you've been doing, and deciding to do it differently. It can be something as small as switching unhealthy food for healthy, or as part of a major life overhaul. I've done both). This year my eye fell on the blog.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 5, 2021
Today I'm going to talk about the skills I think everyone should be able to do to be self-sufficient - and why. The post Podcast Episode 38: 20 Life Skills You Should Have…Or Teach appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 3, 2021
One of the things I constantly remind myself of is that it's not enough to look forward. Plans, goals and steps all have their place; but if I don't look back to see the lessons from the past, I am missing a large part of the picture.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 27, 2020
Time blocking is a great way to get things done efficiently. Today I show you how I do time blocking, including pictures of an actual day's result. The post A Practical Time Blocking Example appeared first on Laura Earnest. Productivity aff aweber
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 22, 2020
Wishing you and your families very happy holidays. Support me at Patreon: [link]. The post Podcast Episode 37: Happy Holidays appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 20, 2020
One of the things people constantly ask me is what tools I use. It’s like they expect I have some magic set of tools that makes productivity easy for me. Nope. I use some easily accessible tools, and most of them are free. So today I will talk about my favorite tools.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 13, 2020
Time blocking is a great way to get things done. But it doesn't mean putting all of your tasks on your calendar. Want to make me cringe? Tell me you put all of your tasks on your calendar so that you have time set aside to do them. Just no. Today we'll talk about how to do effective time blocking.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 9, 2020
In this epsiode I talk about what I do instead of New Year’s resolutions: Picking a word of the year Brainstorming Vision boards 12 week plans as well as how I approach changing habits.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 6, 2020
One of the things that came out of the 2020 Reader Survey is that people are struggling with energy management. I’m not a naturally energetic person. In fact, some of those same readers made the comment that not everyone has energy to manage everything that I do.
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 4, 2020
Saying no is a crucial skill to learn if you are going to be in charge of your life. Today we will look at when and why to say no, how it's not always a black and white answer, and various ways to say no. The post Podcast Episode 28: Saying No appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 30, 2020
2020 has sucked on so many levels, in so many ways. I'm tired, as I'm sure most people are, of being confined. I caught myself in a negative thought spiral the other day. And that doesn't do me any good. Because once I'm caught in that, it takes a lot of effort to get out.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 29, 2020
Given that I was extremely busy during November, it was good to have a pre-planned chart of challenges to follow. I used the one I found at Good Housekeeping. It was the first time I had used a pre-made list. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Mental Health Boosting appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 22, 2020
My mother was a stay-at-home mom. Her cleaning system wasn't going to work for me as a working mom. But the one system that seemed to work stopped working when we moved into a bigger space. Here's how I stopped doing marathon cleaning sessions and got it under control.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
I'm going about my normal life and WHAM! the holidays are right there. And that means I'm going to miss some sort of deadline. I have a fix. The post And The Holiday Season Is Upon Us appeared first on Laura Earnest. Organization Planning
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
In today's episodes, we look at: What is enough? Tinkering. Innovation vs. Standardization (routines). The post Podcast Episode 35: Enough, Tinkering and Routines appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast Productivity
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 15, 2020
Working from home.many of us are doing it right now. Some are doing it better than others. So how can you make working from home successful?
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 8, 2020
This has been a hell of a year. COVID has put a stress on most working people, if it left them employed at all. I've been working at home since March, and there is no sign of returning to the office. Yet our team is thriving. Someone recently asked me why I thought that was the case.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 16, 2020
The two-minute rule says that if you can deal with it in under 2 minutes, do it right then. In some cases, I think this is a good rule. But in others, I think batching is a better way to go. Batching is grouping like tasks together and getting them done.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
In the recent reader survey, several people asked me how I managed to get everything done and have so much energy. Today's episode divulges my secret. The post Podcast Episode 34: How I Get It All Done appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
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