This document discusses productivity tips for speakers. It notes that time is scarce for speakers who run multiple businesses. To improve productivity, speakers should identify time leaks, capture all tasks, logically group tasks into projects, and prioritize tasks based on importance, difficulty level, or personal enthusiasm. Setting deadlines, keeping a schedule, and using a calendar can help maximize productivity and minimize procrastination. Staying productive is important for speakers to manage their businesses and commitments.

1. Productivity: The Secret Sauce for Speakers
Catherine MorganCareer Transition Coach | Business ConsultantPoint A to Point B Transitions Inc.

2. Time is scarce
•Time is your most valuable commodity
•No matter how much time we have, it never seems like enough
–Family
–Career
–Fitness
–Volunteering
–Hobbies
–Other?

3. Speakers are squeezed for time
•Speakers are running multiple businesses!
•Productivity becomes increasingly important

4. How to find more time
•Find out where your “leaks” are
–Keep track of what you do for a week
–Check for the usual time-sucks

5. What causes overwhelm?
“Overwhelm is caused by NOT knowing WHAT to do, not by having too much to do.” ~ Michael Port

6. How to get past overwhelm
•Get things out of your head
–Trying to remember too many things can cause immediate overwhelm

7. Capture all tasks
•Overwhelm will subside when you get into action
•Capture everything you need to do in some way (paper, software, phone app)

8. Create logical groups
•Once out of your head, tasks can be combined into logical groups or projects
–Business projects
–Personal chores
–Administrative tasks

9. First way to prioritize: Cha-ching!
•#1. Do the task that is the most important
–Hint: The fast path to the cash

10. Second way to prioritize: Gulp
•#2. Do the dreaded task first
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” ~ Mark Twain

11. Third way to prioritize: Check
•#3. Do the easy things first
–Build momentum

12. Fourth way to prioritize: Whoo-hoo!
•#4. Gauge yourenthusiasm
–Which task gets you excited?
–Do that first to get a little energy that can carry over to the ones that are not so fun

13. Add in constraints for productivity
•Work will expand to the amount of time you give it:
–Set deadlines -even if they are fake
–Bracket your time with other things that can’t move
–Keep to a schedule (and keep your sanity)

14. Notice avoidance behaviors
•Notice when you start doing something –anything–to avoid the dreaded task
–Laundry
–Organizing your office
–Cleaning
–E-mail
–Social media

15. Your friend the calendar
•Be hands-on: Use your calendar!
–Go through your commitments and other projects
–Define specific tasks and block out times
–Also schedule in breaks and fun

16. Banish crazy-busy
•Forget crazy-busy
–It’s the new normal

17. Questions?
Catherine Morgan
Career Transition Coach | Business Consultant
Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.
877.672.5333
Catherine@PointAtoPointBTransitions.com
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/PointAtoPointB
Twitter @PointA_PointB
Catherine speaks on:
-Productivity
-Entrepreneurship
-Small Business
-Career Transition