10 Ways to Be More Productive This Week

Productivity is something that is never ending, something that we can always improve and get better. And if you're like me, you may often find yourself rushing to hustle throughout the day, but feel like there are still ways you can be even more productive.

So, we can talk about productivity all that we want, but productivity doesn't really work if we are not working to make ourselves more productive.

You have to take the time to actually plan to be productive, you have to make an effort. But if you don't make that effort because you feel like you don't have enough time, you actually end up being less productive. You're investing time to get more time back.

If you don't feel like you're hitting your schedule every single day or your to-do list, and you find that by Friday everything is so backed up, maybe one of these 10 tips will help you…

#1 Be intentional - Plan and have a schedule. This seems like a no-brainer, but I'm not talking about just scheduling your appointments or meetings. Schedule your whole day and make sure to give yourself windows for flexibility, because we all know the unplanned will happen at some point or another.

#2 Separate Personal & Work Life - If you’re working from home, create a space that is only for work. When you work, put your personal phone calls and texts on silent so only the important work stuff comes through. If you can keep a separate line for business, even better.

This is really important because distractions take a lot of time away from your day. Even if something takes just a minute or two, to be completely derailed and then get refocused again, eats up a significant amount of time. What’s more effective is setting aside 15 minutes after your task to deal with personal things, or setting aside an hour or two after the whole day to deal with personal things.

#3 Limit Your Activities - Learn to say no. I know that can be a tough one because life is amazing, however, once you become aware of and limiting what you fill your time with, you will become more productive and effective at meeting your goals.

This approach will naturally create more space in the schedule, rather than having time leak in different areas that are difficult to maintain awareness of.

#4 Eat Your Biggest Frog - Doing the most difficult thing first is the best way to get the weight off your chest. You are easily more productive because once the most difficult task is complete, the rest is easy and the day tends to sail smoother.

#5 Be Realistic - Hard working idealists, like you and me, tend to look at the day in perfect theoreticals and the truth is, that just never happens. There's always something that comes up or takes a little bit longer than anticipated. The best way to address this is to leave buffers between activities so you gain a realistic time perspective on your tasks.

#6 Eliminate the unnecessary - You’re likely aware of this, however, I’d like to challenge you to refine your actions even more. Maybe there are certain discussions that pan out longer than necessary, or thoughts that can be contemplated at another time of day.

If your actions aren’t contributing to your life values, goals, or the scheduled necessities, remove it. It doesn’t mean removing everything. But it begs you to ponder if it really does serve you.

#7 - Get Good Sleep - I know I sound like a broken record, but when you prioritize sleep, you set yourself up for success because you have a clear head, you good energy, and you feel good… and that's going to power you through your day. Everyone knows terrible sleep equals feelings of sluggishness and lack of motivation.

Now I know some of you have the perfect evening routine, but what you really need to be doing is pushing your bedtime up and not thinking so much once you’re in bed. Review your sleep hygiene, keep a notepad and pen near your bedside, and leverage sleep tools to improve the quality of your sleep.

#8 Don’t Skip Breakfast - It's really easy to run out of the door with coffee and a bagel, or go to Starbucks to get something quick and easy, but cheap nutrition only furthers taxation on your system without actually supporting what your body needs to have clarity, sharpness, and focus.

I'm not saying don't drink coffee, but just make sure you get good nutrition at the top of your day as well. Skipping the nutritious food might be convenient and delicious, but that is asking for an inevitable crash and burn. So, save those quick coffee runs for emergencies only.

#9 Have Fun - How does fun contribute to productivity? Most of us need a little fun and entertainment to find balance between grinding all day and having something to look forward to. The problem is that we derail from being productive to give attention to distractions all in the name of “taking a break”.

When we are not fully immersed in present, genuine enjoyment we aren’t going to recharge or gain the hormone benefits we usually do when we’re truly having fun. So it’s better to take intentional pomodoro breaks throughout the day and then schedule deliberate space for ample amounts of fun on a regular basis.

This is more than just a tip, it is key, because without any fun - you will face an inevitable crash and burn.

#10 Get Daily “You Time” - This is the time where you get to ask yourself, everyday, what do YOU need. This is the time to recenter, recharge, and reinvigorate your mind and body… whatever that means to you. Too often, we go-go-go without slowing down to ask: What keeps us going? It’s no wonder it’s all to common for people like you and I to lose steam and motivation.

Get honest about what truly recharges you and makes you feel refreshed, alive, renewed. You can feel it balance your mood and mind. You want to discover what that is and make sure you do that at least 30, if not 60 minutes a day.

It will change your life.

For myself, the second half of this list has been the most powerful in creating the most productivity in my life. You have to think about the way you approach and organize all of the different facets of your to-do’s and how they quantify when you take inventory. Looking at your life and at all the specifics that create the bulk of time inventory, what you do on a daily, weekly basis, is what's going to make the biggest difference.

It does take a little extra time, but it’s sure worth the investment and the productivity output in the long run.

Why You Need to Fail & Have Setbacks

This morning on my garden walk, I was reminded of a life principle that I wanted to share:

There are seasons in life, and with each season comes change. Certain times of the season things grow a lot and other times things die. And even though things are dying with the season it's important to still nurture the things that you want to grow.

You might feel like you don't see a difference in what's happening, or maybe you've worked really hard to maintain all these things you're trying to grow; whether it's your business, your energy, yourself... And a very quick, tough season comes along and seems to set you way back.

From the outside, you might see what looks like a dead or dying tree. It’s easy to think, what's the point? But when we cut the banana trees all the way back to the ground. We cut back all the dead stuff that doesn't matter. All the junk, all the excess. When we let that stuff go, it makes way for new trees that sprout.

This happens because the roots are good. That’s the reason we take the time to add mulch, cover the trees, and to add a ton of water to the ground before it frosts… so roots are protected. When the roots are protected, all this other stuff, comes and goes. It dies and then every season, it comes back quicker, stronger, more beautiful, taller, and more productive.

And that’s the truth, the roots are what matter. It's very much like life.

These seasons of death, struggle, or challenge may seem like a long time. But ultimately, it’s what happens and at some point or another, will happen. The seasons are part of the life’s cycles. The key thing to remember is, no matter what season you’re in, it’s important to nurture yourself.

Nurture yourself to be strong for the setbacks, and nurture yourself through failures because it is what strengthens you to come back quicker, stronger, more beautiful, and productive.

With our trees we get through it, then we cater to it as much as possible. We add a lot more support to get through that stress and to grow from the stress. But once that stress is gone, then it's time to purge. Get rid of all the dead and dying stuff that doesn't add value anymore.

Make use of what you can, then contemplate: What do I need to let go of? What can I get rid of? How can I change things so that I can move into the next growing season with more ease so that I can come back stronger?

Keep in mind when things are a struggle, you might be trying to get your energy up, trying to find more time and space… but usually when you feel things are hard or there's not enough time, space or room for all of it, it's normally because you're in the process of growing. And after you grow there's a lot of things that die back in order to make room for new growth.

So I just wanted to share that little tidbit of value with you to remind you to embrace each season and nurture yourself through it all. ❤️

MAKING 2022 THE BEST YEAR YET

Hey ya’ll! It’s been a while, and 2021 has been quite a diverse year for everyone. I think most of us can agree it was an upgrade from 2020, but there were still quite a few things to navigate through; whether it’s a new job, new business, new home, a new family member, or a number of new things we’ve experienced over the past year.

I want to talk about how you can make the most for yourself this upcoming year. I know there are so many things you have to look forward to, if only certain things would stop getting in the way. I know you know you have the ability to accomplish them, if you only had the time and energy. And I know how very important these things are to you. I don’t want you to find yourself at the end of this year feeling like you’re not much further than where you were last year and yet again, another year has passed not manifesting or accomplishing your goals. No. This year is going to be much different. Let’s talk about how to set yourself up for success.

The first thing you have to do is get clear on what are your top priorities for 2022. If you’re like me, you have a tendency to list out ALL the things you want to improve and address. But the truth is, in order to truly master one specific topic or accomplish one big goal - you have to have laser focus. So be sure to select one or two things you want to get focused on, and make that the priority this year.

Next, let go of all the BS that doesn’t matter. Even if it does, just a little bit, if it’s not supporting or progressing you towards your goals, let it go, at least temporarily. If you can reflect on 2021 and highlight the top 5 things that got in your way or held your time up, what was it? And could you eliminate it? If not, can you turn the dial way down on it?

Another thing I encourage you to let go of is any drama or fears that tend to consume your thoughts regularly. Sometimes there are things that just cannot be solved and instead, require acceptance. I love Mo Gawdat’s solve for happy equation: Is it true? Is there something I can do about it? If not, accept it. Arriving to these conclusions sooner than later can save years of time, over a lifetime, in conflict.

Once you’ve cut out the major distractions from your life, you need to get purposeful about the things you’re spending your time and energy on. You may need to take care of certain responsibilities even though they do take up time. But purposeful action allows you to find ways that are either more efficient or automatic.

Did you know anything you spend 5 minutes per day on costs you over 30 hours every year? That’s literally over a whole day of your life! Taking the time to quantify each minute you spend is bound to reveal some gapping holes in your time. For example, I usually spend about 5 minutes per day sweeping the floors of the house. This year I finally picked up a Roomba that cost me $300 dollars. I still have to sweep once per week, but I just saved myself over 25 hours per year. 25 hours per year of my time is TOTALLY worth an initial investment of $300! Especially if the robot lasts more than one or two years. It is definitely worth taking inventory of what you need to do and what you can do to save time for yourself.

The last step is to put the plan to action. Taking all the things we’ve discussed into consideration is just the preliminary preparations necessary to take action. Create realistic time goals for yourself and revisit this process as often as necessary to refine and expedite your journey. If you do everything we’ve talked about today, you’ll find 2022 will bring you such amazing results. I’m excited to see how it works out for you!

Feel fee to leave me a comment and let me know how it goes!
Until next time…

- MJ

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1 Step to Increase your Health, Happiness, and Success

If you could do one simple thing each day that would change your life for the better would you do it? In this interview with Karl Staib, author of Bring Gratitude, we talk about how diving deep into gratitude can improve your health, happiness, and success. All it takes is one step… But that step will change your life forever.

It was something that saved Karl’s life.

Gratitude changes the chemicals in your brain, it creates a physiological result that effects your brain, your hormones, the way that you feel, and your overall perspective in life. Focusing on the negative or the things that are stressing us narrows our perception to a reality that isn’t totally true. It’s only partially true because it’s omitting the abundance of positive.

If it feels easier for you to focus on what’s bothering you this is because we’re hardwired to search for the negative, it’s what helped us survive. But it’s important to have understanding and grace with yourself. We are no longer primitive beings and we have the ability to choose how we respond and then take action.

Gratitude creates space…

…between you and the negative feeling allows you to conserve your time and energy by encouraging us to shift our focus towards clear thinking and identifying things that add value to us in the moment and in our overall definition of life.

Although gratitude is simple, you can take this practice to a whole new level, bringing the results in your life to a whole new level. Karl has developed a technique called S.O.A.R. that helps guide you through the four stages of gratitude, you can get that here. And he dives deeper into how gratitude applies to moments of stress, fatigue, depression, and anxiety in our interview as well as his book Bring Gratitude.

I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to share this interaction with you. There is always something so humbling and fulfilling connecting with high vibe individuals who share their wisdom in order to enrich your mindset and your life.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

~MJ

Starting Minimalism with The Minimalists

I always imagined minimalism being this self-depriving lifestyle of trying to live with as little as possible. Boy was I wrong.

If there is any person, or in this case two people, I could give credit to deepening my journey in minimalism it would be Joshua and Ryan of The Minimalists. Seven years ago they helped me define minimalism for myself before I ever considered myself a minimalist.

I never knew this way of thinking and living would change my life for the better - in so many ways.

If you’re a person who’s looking for more fulfillment, direction, and meaning in life, but feel overwhelmed with what seems to be “everyday life”, minimalism could be just the thing that helps you find that clarity and balance.

Recently, I had the pleasure of going to L.A. to collab with these gentlemen on their podcast and talk about starting minimalism and I’m excited to share the experience with you. ❤️ Enjoy!

You can also check out some fun extras I did with Joshua and Ryan:

• “The Difference Between Minimalism and the Marie Kondo Method”

• Full length “Maximal” episode of The Minimalists Private Podcast exclusively at The Minimalists Pateon

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I personally recommend following The Minimalists:
Blog: http://minimalists.com
Podcast: http://minimalists.com/podcast
Twitter: http://twitter.com/theminimalists
Instagram: http://instagram.com/theminimalists
Facebook: http://facebook.com/theminimalists

Are You Telling Yourself the Biggest Lie?

There’s a lie we’ve been told that many of us, including myself, have believed or still believe is true. It’s the biggest lie that sets us up for disappointment and dissatisfaction. And that lie is:

You can and deserve to have it all.

When we first hear that we can have it all, we’re inclined to respond with a “Hell yeah! Why not?”

When we pursue having it all, we actually end up with nothing. This is because the truth is we can’t have it all. Everything in our lives, from the friends that we have to the things that we own costs us. Not just in money, but in limited resources such as our time, attention, and energy…

When you deplete the quality of those resources from the very things that contribute to your happiness and fulfillment, it feels like you’ve given up or don’t have the most important things.

That’s no way to live.
And that’s why we have to face the biggest lie with the biggest truth:

I can’t have it all. My time and resources are limited, so I must identify and choose wisely the things I entertain having in my every day life.

It’s important to have self awareness, and self awareness comes from consistently listening to your inner self when you do something, like splurge on Amazon, and feel guilt. That guilt is telling you, “I did something that wasn’t aligned with my core goals and values.”

That guilt knows deeper than you’re current state of consciousness that you just gave up something that was important to you… future time, potential, opportunity, freedom… Even if it’s the freedom to stay out of debt or the opportunity to spend the money on something more rewarding.

Every time we make a choice, we are choosing it over something else.

Be sure what you are choosing, is above all other options. At the same time, accept that sometimes we have to make unintentionally wrong choices to learn more self awareness. Key word: unintentional.

At the end of the day, when you prioritize the things you value and are more important to you, above the things that are instantly satisfying, you end up with the experience that you have it all… because essentially you do.

You have all that you need to live happy and free.
The rest of what you don’t have - doesn’t matter.

Fear of Letting Go

I want it…
I could use it…
I spent money on it…
I lost time for it…
I probably need it…
I’ll just keep it.

And so the mental conflict continues when it comes to decluttering our stuff… but what if there was a different way? What if it didn’t have to be so damn exhausting and difficult?

For the sake of entertaining the thought, let’s think about what it actually costs you:

• Guilt / Anguish - every time you’re reminded of the fact that you acquired it without good reason and it just sits there collecting dust.

• Space - aside from the emotional conflict, it’s occupying space that could be put to better use or produce better feelings if it weren’t there.

• Time - organizing, cleaning, revisiting the conflict over and over… and over… and over… again.

Just let it go.

The amount of time, money and energy you spent bringing it into your life is minimal compared to the exponential resources you use justifying keeping it in your life.

Give, sell, share it with someone who will use and appreciate it more than you.

Now that feels doubly good :)

Are You Ready to Take Life to the Next Level?

Some people wait for something to be excited about, others create it.
Want to live a life that you’re excited about? One that inspires and energized you?

Stop waiting, stop planning, stop trying to get better, just go out there and do it.

“But MJ, I don’t have any time... I don’t know my purpose... I’ve lost my passion...”
If you have no idea what you’re excited about it means you’ve ignored the very things that fulfill you.

Create space to discover. Even if it’s just 30 minutes a day. Start that hobby, finish that side project, map out your dream business, plan your ideal vacation, create a vision board, etc. anything that will trigger inspiration in you once again.

Once you do, identify the things that suck your inspiration dry and start ruthlessly cutting them from your life.

All it takes is a little shift and soon that inspiration grows into action of you creating and living your fullest life.

You need nothing to begin. Just start.

WANT TO HUSTLE MORE?

No! You’re not crazy, we are no longer in a place where we just want to survive, we want to thrive!

The biggest thing here is to just get honest with yourself, to do that ask yourself why? Why do you want to hustle more? Is it because it’s a new fad, it’s the new cool thing to do; it’s the right thing to do? Or are you not satisfied with your life? Do you feel like you were meant to do more or be more?

If you are currently in a roll of leadership, why are you doing it? Let us know below!

EGO ORIENTED

Lets get clear, if you are doing this for results, which of course we are doing it for results but I’m talking result oriented for the ego. If so you’re going to feel dissatisfied, like you are giving and giving and not receiving in return, you’re not getting anywhere…

 It comes down to a perspective of a result rather than effort. This makes a huge difference when it comes to having a growth mindset. You want to focus on your efforts not your results. Yes when we are in business we need a certain level of results but I’m talking about on a personal level, why you’re pushing so hard and expecting so much out of yourself.  So ask yourself if it’s the results that give you satisfaction or the efforts?

 Another good question to ask yourself is “Am I comparing myself to others?” There is of course a healthy level on comparison but when there is frustration behind your comparison, a feeling of lack and unworthiness, negativity, dissatisfaction or disappointment, this thinking only decrease your level of satisfaction with life and what you’re doing rather than lifting you up and elevating you.

FOR THE GREATER GOOD

 Are you stoked about life? Do you feel like you are hustling for the greater good? Are you executing because it is fulfilling, meaningful and purposeful, all of this will naturally make you excited, despite the struggles and burn out!

 Is your perspective journey focused? Life becomes so fulfilling when your focus is put onto the journey rather than the destination. Instead of hustling to meat a monetary goal how do you think it would feel to be hustling so you can help as many people as possible and then just simply enjoying those people, and the time you get with them along the way!

 I’m getting energized just talking about this, how do you think it would feel to be living it? It’s naturally energizing and exciting! So why wouldn’t you want to hustle for the greater good?

 So keep pushing, keep hustling!

Until next time,
be good, be great and most of all be grateful,
-MJ

5 NON-NEGOTIABLE VALUES OF HIGH CAPACITY PEOPLE

I like to think of myself as a high capacity person but some of the people I admire and look up to have way more capacity for more, they have great attitudes, they hustle though the day, they get stuff done, they doe stuff from themselves and for everybody around them, they have amazing results and create beautiful things!

 At a very young I started to question what’s the difference between them and me?

 We all have 24 hours in a day, we have access to similar resources so what is it?

 Through my observation I’ve narrowed it down to 5 Non-Negotiable Values.

 #1 VALUES OVER MONEY I don’t know any (materially) successful people in my life that are obsessed about money; they hold their values over money. Money is seen as a tool to help and give or to create something meaningful, but in the end the thing they stand by is values.

 #2 HIGH QUALITY PEOPLE It’s simple really; ask yourself “does this elevate my life?”  Do these people elevate my life?

#3 MINDSET High capacity people always seem to be learning, growing, open minded. In my experience, no one has ever been a “know it all” they always leave space for other to be right and are so patience and understanding.

 #4 HEALTH Health is huge and to live a high capacity life you have to do all you can to maintain it! My mentors, friends and successful people I have been able to spend time with have always had something to say about health. They get that health is needed in order to optimize their time and energy!

 #5 SELF CONFIDENCE Even if there is doubt, you don’t feel it, judgments of others are not worrisome, and it always seems that high capacity people either find their way or pave one for themselves!

 Now, I personally have not mastered any of these but becoming aware has helped me in life tremendously.

 I hope this has added value, more time and energy and maybe even a push towards becoming that high capacity person that you are capable of being.

 Be good, be great, and most of all be grateful.
-MJ

THE #1 REASON YOU'RE FEELING STUCK

I know you’re trying to elevate your life, you’re always trying to learn, grown and improve. You have a passion to do m ore, be more, live more and give more! I can’t blame you for that! I totally get it, life is all about living it to the fullest so if we can optimize our time here then we can really be our highest self align with our values and live our full purpose. So if you get this, then why are you feeling stuck??

Here it is, the #1 reason why you’re feeling stuck in life right now…

 You haven’t identified your Elevation Points  Elevation Points are the areas in your life that lift you up, these moments add value to your life, they encourage and support your growth and your level ups, they elevate you!

 Why does this happen and how can we optimize it?

 We typically have things backwards.

 We think because we are out of time we need to stay up late, or skip our workouts, we shouldn’t make time for ourselves to hangout, enjoy and relax. So pretty much, since we don’t have time we need to spend more time. It’s all backwards!

I understand the perspective “If I get more done today, I wont have to deal with it tomorrow.”

The problem with this, since we are spending more time and energy in hopes to get more time and energy in the future we are burning out and actually losing time and energy!

Taking a moment to think about this concept in terms of money might be helpful. If you need more money, you’re probably not going to go out and spend money. In fact if you need more money there are two things you could do either save or invest. Now consider time, if you took the time to relax and restore, we are talking about saving and conserving energy, and then we are going to invest our energy by moving our bodies!

Building these habits is a guaranteed way to receive more time and energy!

So start spending your time and energy wisely, invest it, save it!

 Until next time,

-MJ