Ep 194: How To Be More Productive Than Ever In 2020 

Will 2020 be the year you secure that promotion, land a new job, or finally get your side hustle off the ground? Maybe you just want to be better about knocking things off your to-do list each day, or perhaps you're ready to become that ultra-productive, ultra-accomplished version of yourself you've envisioned in the movie montage of your life?

Thankfully on this week's episode, Julie Morgenstern is here to tell us all exactly how we can get there. Julie is one of the world's leading experts on organization, productivity and time management, and is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including 'Organizing From The Inside Out,' 'Time Management From The Inside Out,' and 'Never Check Email In The Morning.' Her books have been turned into a popular executive training program that empowers individuals to ramp up their productivity and get the absolute most out of their hours in the day.

Julie says if you've been feeling like you're treading water, you're not alone. Many people feel like they accomplish less as they get older, because time seems to go faster. But, she stresses, while there's great joy in racking up accomplishments, there's also great joy in a life well-lived; you have to make time for important life connections and experiences along the way.

Julie offers her tips for how to get the absolute most out of the limited hours you have in your work day, and shares her favorite tricks for avoiding getting caught up in a false sense of urgency with all of the day's email notifications, IMs, text messages, and Slack pings. She also dives into the importance of to-do lists, and the need to have a road map of where you're going on any given day. She says lists are "a simple tool with incredible power to help you be fully present in what you do," and cautions that too many of us don't have a single consistent place where we keep a record of our necessary tasks. Unfortunately, those of us who have our to-dos scattered amongst many systems can spend 30% of our day trying to figure out what we might be missing. She shares her thoughts on the very best place to keep your to-do list to ensure the conversation shifts from "when" you're going to do something to, "how long is it going to take me?"

If you're struggling with feeling like you can't get anything done during the work week, Julie recommends blocking out time on your calendar at work so that you're always in control of your schedule. Yes, blocking time even for the most mundane of tasks is recommended — that way you'll be sure to get it done! When it comes to email, IMs and Slack, Julie recommends "batch processing" these messages every 2-3 hours. Many of us feel a false sense of satisfaction simply from checking a screen, when in reality, we'd be much better off (and more productive) if we disconnected from our devices several times a day.

Julie also talks about how we can use some of her most tried and true strategies in our personal lives, and dives into how taking time off can actually make you a better leader and a better colleague. "Really renewing and recharging is one of the best professional investments you can make in yourself. Stepping away gives you perspective and lets your whole brain work on any problems you might be having," she says. Along those same lines, she talks about the importance of self care, and why sleep, exercise, and the pursuit of our hobbies and passions is so very important to leading a rich and fulfilling life.

Lastly, in mailbag, Jean counsels a woman who was turned down for a credit increase she requested, and offers guidance on credit utilization. She also guides a listener who is considering participating in her company’s employee stock purchase program. We also dive into a debate on buying cars vs. leasing cars. In Thrive, Jean tackles the often tricky, often sticky group birthday dinner, and  how we can all improve our group outings (and the impact they have on our wallets) in 2020.