1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,479 Speaker 1: Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on my own productivity 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: systems and answering your burning questions about work habits, psychology, 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: and the tools that actually make a difference. Have you 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 1: ever wondered what my ideal workday really looks like? Or 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: maybe you're curious about which popular productivity advice I think 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: is complete rubbish, Or maybe you're dying to know the 7 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: one habit that's transformed my energy levels well, from my 8 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: perhaps controversial approach to email management to the surprising environmental 9 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: hacks that changed my behavior, I am sharing the strategies 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: that have genuinely moved the needle in my own life 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: and work. So whether you're struggling with focus on off 12 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: days or looking for a planning process that actually works, 13 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: this episode will definitely have something for you. Welcome to 14 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: How I Work, a show about habits, rituals, and strategies 15 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: for optimizing your day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha Imber. 16 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining me today. In this Ask Me 17 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 1: Anything episode, I am going to go through a bit 18 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: of a backlog of listener questions that I've got, and remember, 19 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: if you want me to answer something in one of 20 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: these ask Me Anything epps, then there is a little 21 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: link to my email in the show notes. 22 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 2: Okay, let's get into the first question, which I had different. 23 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: Versions of this from quite a few listeners, and the 24 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: question is what does your ideal workday look like from 25 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: start to finish. 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 2: Well, at the moment. 27 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: It's a little bit different because I am on a 28 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: deadline for my fifth book, and when I am book writing, 29 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: everything changes. So what that looks like right now is 30 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: typically between the hours of seven to nine AM or 31 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: eight to ten as generally those first two golden hours 32 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: of the morning, because that's when I do my best work. 33 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: I am writing my book, So I am in my 34 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: home office and I am glued to the screen, and 35 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: I am in research mode and writing mode. I'm generally 36 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: doing both concurrently. I'm doing some research and then I'm 37 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: consolidating that and then I'm writing up what I find. 38 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 2: And right now. 39 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: I have a very strict daily deadline, which is something 40 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: I found works for me when I'm working on a manuscript. 41 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 2: I write one thousand words a day. 42 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: That is not negotiable, although I do give myself one 43 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: day or one thousand words worth of hall passes, and 44 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: I find that's really useful because the quicker I can 45 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: get down. 46 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: I guess a first. 47 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: Draft is what it is because I have already ironed 48 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: out the structure. 49 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: Then that just. 50 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: It makes me feel on top of things. It makes 51 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: me feel confident that I'm going to hit the deadline, 52 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,799 Speaker 1: and I love having a lot of time to edit 53 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: and play around. 54 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: So that's first thing in the morning. 55 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: Then I get to my actual full time job, which 56 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: is running Inventium, my behavior change consultancy, and I will 57 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: typically then do a couple of hours of deep work 58 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: for Inventium, which might be working on a new product 59 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: or at the moment, working on the strategy for the 60 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: new financial year, or a whole host of other things. 61 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: And then I typically have meetings in the afternoons. So 62 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: my assistant GEM knows that I like my meetings batched 63 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: and I don't like to do meetings before about eleven AM. 64 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: So that is typically what my workday looks like. I 65 00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: would generally clock off at about five of ish at 66 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: the moment, because I'm writing a book, it does make 67 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: for a long day, but I know that this is 68 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: temporary in terms of having this manuscript deadline, and it 69 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: matters to me. Producing a great book really matters to me, 70 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: and so I'm very happy to spend that time writing. Okay, 71 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: the next question comes from prayer, and that is what's 72 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: the most effective productivity technique you've ever used and still use? 73 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 2: Okay, that would have to be time boxing. 74 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: So if you're a regular listener of how I work, 75 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: you probably know what that is. But in case you don't, 76 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: time boxing is essentially booking a meeting with yourself in 77 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: the diary to do the thing. So my diary is 78 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: covered in meetings with myself that say DW stands for 79 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: deep work Colin, and. 80 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 2: Then whatever the task is is. 81 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: I really like time boxing because it firstly reduces the 82 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: need for me to make decisions about what am I 83 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: doing next, and also it stops me procrastinating because if 84 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: I don't know what I'm doing, if I've got nothing 85 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: time boxed in my morning, I find that my focus 86 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: can be lacking. 87 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 2: So the other thing. 88 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: That I find very helpful with time boxing is that 89 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: I often overestimate how long things will take, which is 90 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: slightly uncommon. A lot of people underestimate how long things 91 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: will take. I like to overestimate, and I do that 92 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: deliberately because then when I finish something early I feel 93 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: like it's a little win and that I'm actually running 94 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 1: my day a. 95 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: Little bit early on time now. 96 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: I do also want to mention chronotypes again. If you're 97 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: a long time listener, you will know that chronotypes are 98 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 1: about the different ebbs and flows in our energy over 99 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: a twenty four hour period. There are three different types 100 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: of chronotypes. Larks who are mourning people, middlebirds who are. 101 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 2: In the middle, and ours who come to life at night. 102 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: I am most definitely a lark, which is why you 103 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: might go, why are you writing your book at seven 104 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: a m. 105 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 2: That is early for me. 106 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: I am at my prime in those hours, and I'm 107 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: not very useful at work that requires deep thinking and 108 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: focus after lunch. 109 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: Okay, what productivity. 110 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: Advice do you think is completely overrated? 111 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 2: And this comes from James. Thank you, James. All right, 112 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 2: I think that the most. 113 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: Overrated productivity advice is stay out of your inbox all 114 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 1: day except check it two or three times a day. 115 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: I mean, you hear that advice a lot from people 116 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: that recognize that a lot of time spent in your 117 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: inbox is probably time wasted. And the average person I 118 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: read this spends two and a half to three hours 119 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: doing email every day, and when you combine that with 120 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: another statistic, I heard that the average knowledge worker spends 121 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: about twenty one point five hours in meetings per week, 122 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: you kind of left with about five hours to do 123 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: your actual job, which is why a lot of us 124 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: are completely burnt out and working at night or on weekends. 125 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: So I actually think this with this advice of to 126 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: stay out of your inbox, why I don't like it 127 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: because I think it's just so unrealistic. 128 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: I look at a lot of our. 129 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: Clients at Inventium who are tipillian knowledge workers, a lot 130 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: of mid to senior level managers, and part of their 131 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: job involves being contactable and being fairly responsive, and I 132 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: think that realistic advice. And I heard this from Laura 133 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: may Martin, who is Google's executive productivity advisor. What she 134 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: recommends is try to with your inbox. Fine, keep it 135 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: open for most of the day, but try to find 136 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: at least two, maybe even. 137 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 2: Three one hour periods where. 138 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: You keep it closed when you're doing your deep work. 139 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: And I love that advice because I think that is 140 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: so much more realistic. 141 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 2: I personally use it myself. 142 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: My inbox software, my email software which is superhuman, which 143 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: I Love stays closed for most of the morning, really 144 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: until I've done my deep work, and then it's open 145 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: intimately for the rest of the day. The next question 146 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: comes from Sonya and she has asked, how do you 147 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: deal with distractions and stay focused when you're having an 148 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: off day? Well, Sonya, I've tried a whole bunch of 149 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: different things. 150 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,599 Speaker 2: I would say. When I first discovered deep work. 151 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: Back in twenty seventeen or twenty eighteen or whatever I 152 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: first read cal Newport's book, I used a combination of 153 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 1: Oh no, actually, I think I solely relied on Freedom 154 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: dot two, which is website and application blocking software, which 155 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: is great because if you don't want to rely on 156 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: your willpower, and ideally we want to design systems where 157 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: we're not relying on our willpower because it does get depleted. 158 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: Freedom is a really good way to go. You basically 159 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: program it to block you from the apps and software 160 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: that you find most distracting, you know, which might be 161 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: Outlook or Slack or ABC News or whatever the case 162 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: may be, and you pick the hours. And I found 163 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: that using that was really great at just having me 164 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: focus on the thing which was often hard or dull, 165 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: or you know, producing negative emotions. 166 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: It just kept me on track. 167 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: I've since tried using Forest, which is an app on 168 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 1: your phone where you set the time of how long 169 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: you want to focus, and it will grow a digital tree, 170 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: and if you check your phone during that time, the 171 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: tree dies, which is strangely motivating. But probably the other 172 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: thing that I do is that generally my mobile phone 173 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: is not within arm's reach. 174 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,719 Speaker 2: I got that tip from Adam. 175 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: Alter, and I think the further away I am from 176 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: my phone for the most amount of hours in the 177 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: day is a really good thing in terms of staying focused. 178 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: Because if my phone is in a different room and 179 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: I think, oh, I might just check my phone for something. 180 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: Generally I can't be bothered. 181 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 1: And the thought will pass and I'll just get on 182 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: with things without being distracted. Now, there are definitely days, 183 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: because I am human, where I am really really distractable 184 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: and really unfocused. I find what helps there is a 185 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: state change, So I'll typically just go for a walk 186 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: around the block almost do a mental reset, because typically 187 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: if I'm succumbing to distractions, it probably means my energy 188 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: or my motivation is a little bit low. So I 189 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: try to reenergize and then get back to things. Okay, 190 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: next question is from Amy, what does your weekly planning 191 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: process look like? Well, I don't so much have a 192 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: weekly planning process, although I do time box, but that 193 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: is typically a daily planning process. I have this year 194 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: started to do a monthly planning process, which I think 195 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: I should have done long ago, but I find it's 196 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: really helpful. I've got my annual goals as a company 197 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: and as an individual. I've typically got things that I'm 198 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: trying to get done over the next three to six 199 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: months for inventingum and what I find keeps me on 200 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: track and also helps me know what is the most 201 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: important thing I could be doing this week or this day. 202 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: Is at the start of the month, I list and 203 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: I do this very basically. I was doing this in 204 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: Apple Notes and I've recently started doing it in notion. Instead. 205 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: Is I list out what are the big goals or 206 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: the big chunks of deep work essentially that I want 207 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: to achieve, what. 208 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 2: Are the big things that will shift the dial? 209 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 1: And in Apple Notes, I was pinning that note to 210 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: the top, so I you know, it was something that 211 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: I would look at, gosh, probably every day or two 212 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: just to reorient me and make me go, Okay, what 213 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: is the thing that I should be doing today? And 214 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: it is so simple, but I found it is so 215 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: effective in keeping me on track with what needs to happen. Okay, 216 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: we are just going to take a short break, but 217 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: when we come back, I'm going to be talking about 218 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: the habit that has had the biggest impact on my 219 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: energy and wellbeing, and also some tools that I am 220 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: currently quite obsessed with. The next question comes from anonymous 221 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: someone that has not left their name, and they have asked, 222 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,559 Speaker 1: what habit has had the biggest impact on your energy 223 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: and well being. Ah, it's a good question, and I 224 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: would say it's all my habits around sleep. And in 225 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: the coming weeks, I'm actually going to record a more 226 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: in depth episode about sleep because I get asked about 227 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 1: sleep so often. I think that whenever I'm giving a 228 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: keynote on habit change and there's a wellbeing theme around it, 229 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: I will always get questions on sleep. So I'm going 230 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: to do a much bigger episode on that in the 231 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: near future. But what I will say is that I 232 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: take sleep very seriously, and I think that the habit 233 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: that has had the biggest impact on me is that 234 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 1: I go to bed at about the same time every night, 235 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: and I wake up at about the same time every 236 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: every morning, within about a half hour window. So I'm 237 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: someone who leaves events unfashionably early. I'm always the first 238 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: to leave. I hate being out after nine o'clock. Really, 239 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: the only time that happens is if I am at 240 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: a show, like at the theater, and there is no 241 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: choice but to stay till later because obviously I want 242 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: to watch the end of the show. 243 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 2: So yeah, I am hardcore about that. 244 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: And that has just had the biggest impact on everything, 245 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: particularly my energy, and without energy, I feel like we 246 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,239 Speaker 1: are useless to everyone. 247 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 2: Now. The next question is from Amelia. 248 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: What is a behavior change strategy that works surprisingly well 249 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: but most people overlook. Okay, I would say hacking your environment, 250 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: like redesigning your physical and digital environment so that it 251 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: supports the behavior that you're trying to do more of. 252 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 2: So, for example, at. 253 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: Inventium, we have been doing a lot of Genai training 254 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: with our clients and. 255 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 2: All sorts of people. 256 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: To be honest, and it's really easy to come to 257 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: a training program on Genai and get really excited about 258 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: the possibilities, but your digital environment is not set up 259 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: to have using Genai as the default. So let's take 260 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: let's take doing search as an example. We talk about 261 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: using tools like Perplexity instead of Google when you are 262 00:15:55,040 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: searching for information for various reasons, and most people are 263 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: their default browser window, certainly for people that are using 264 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: Chrome as their browser, the default tab or the default 265 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: homepage if you like, is going to be Google. Of 266 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: course it is because it's Chrome. And if that's your 267 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: default that's the first screen that you see when you're 268 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: opening your browser window, then of course you're going to 269 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: default to using Google for search. But instead what we 270 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: recommend is going, well, if you want to really double 271 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: down on Jenai and start to be using it every 272 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: day and look ideally every hour, then change that home screen, 273 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: change it to Perplexity, which actually in Chrome you can't do. 274 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: You need to create it as a shortcut, but in 275 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: other browsers it's a little bit easier to do. 276 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 2: So that's just one example. But change your. 277 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: Environment, and particularly your digital environment to support the behavior 278 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: that you're trying to do more of. Now, fine, old 279 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: question that we've got for today, and I will remind 280 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: you if you have got questions that you would like 281 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: me to answer that might be about my own practices. 282 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 2: It might be about your workplace. Maybe. 283 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: In the past, I've received all sorts of all sorts 284 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 1: of questions about troublesome workplaces and managers and coworkers and 285 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: what to do, and I can tackle all of those. 286 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: Please drop me a note. My email is in the 287 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: show notes. I'm very accessible, or drop me a DM 288 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: on LinkedIn, where I am also very accessible, So please 289 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,919 Speaker 1: do that. I love, love, love getting listener questions, and 290 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: even better, send it to me as a voice memo 291 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: so I can play it. 292 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:47,360 Speaker 2: People always email me these things, but I would love 293 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 2: voice memo questions and I will play that on the show. 294 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: Okay, final question that I'm tackling today comes from George, 295 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 1: and that is. 296 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 2: What books, tools, or gadgets are you currently obsessed with? 297 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: Well, the best book that I've read recently was Reset 298 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: by Dan Heath. I love the Heath Brothers. I love 299 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: all their books. Reset was fantastic. It was all about 300 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 1: how to create change. It was the book that my 301 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: book club did a couple of months back, and it 302 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: was so good. 303 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 2: I know everyone in the book club also loved it. 304 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 2: In terms of software, two things I will give a 305 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 2: shout out to. 306 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 1: First is Snipped, which is the app that I use 307 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: to listen to podcasts. I no longer use Spotify or 308 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:45,120 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts or Google podcasts back when that existed, as 309 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: I have mucked around with in the past, I listened 310 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: to all my podcasts on snip. It is amazing. The 311 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 1: problem for me that it solves is that quite often 312 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: when I'm listening to a work related or educational pod 313 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: is that I'll hear something, but. 314 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 2: I'll be on the run. 315 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: My typical podcast time is when I'm exercising, so doing 316 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: weights or out for a run, and it's an inconvenient 317 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: time to write something down that. With Snipped, there's a 318 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: little button that you can hit that it says something 319 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: like creator snip and it records the previous minute or 320 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: so that was sort of identifies with AI. Oh yeah, 321 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: you were probably trying to snip that, and then it 322 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: sends you that in an email. 323 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 2: It is so good. It does a really good. 324 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: AI summaries of episodes as well, so you can think 325 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,160 Speaker 1: about do I really want to invest an hour of 326 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: my life listening to this? 327 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 2: I just love it so much. 328 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: It is so good, and it's also quite helpful when 329 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: you discover a new podcast. You can also sort by 330 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: how many snips it has or how many people have 331 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: snipped things in it. 332 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 2: It's one of those two things. 333 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: And that's also really good because presumably the more times 334 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:05,400 Speaker 1: a show or an episode has been snipped, then probably 335 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: the more gems there are. 336 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 2: Is just some logic that I have applied that. 337 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: Typically only works with the really popular shows, because a 338 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,680 Speaker 1: lot of shows do not have any snips. 339 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 2: So there is that. Okay. 340 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 1: One other tool that I will give a shout out to, 341 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: which I'm absolutely loving, is called whisper flow. 342 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 2: And what this is so, I mean, computers. 343 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 1: Have had dictation features for a while now, but they 344 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:36,880 Speaker 1: just haven't been very good, so I haven't used them. 345 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: But I recently discovered whisper flow and it is amazing 346 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: at dictation. So you basically download the software. You set 347 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: it to have like a one button shortcut. So on 348 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: my Mac, it's the function key that if I hold 349 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: that down, it just starts recording what I'm saying. So 350 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: I can be in any program, I can be in 351 00:20:58,280 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: my email, I. 352 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 2: Can be on like a notes page, I can be in. 353 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: A word document and I just hit the function button 354 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: and I talk and it will write what I'm saying. 355 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: But it also does automatic formatting and I have found 356 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,679 Speaker 1: that it is very, very accurate. So those are my 357 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: two favorite tools right now, Snipped and whisper Flow. 358 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 2: I will put a link to both of those in 359 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 2: the show notes. Highly recommend them both. Check them out. 360 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: Okay, we have got to the end of the episode. 361 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for all those listeners that sent 362 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: in questions. They were super awesome questions, which is why 363 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: I chose them to have on this episode. And if 364 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: you have got questions you would like me to cover, 365 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 1: please send them through to me via email or on LinkedIn. 366 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining me. 367 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 1: If you like today's show, make sure you hit follow 368 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: on your podcast app to be alerted where new episodes drop. 369 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: How I Work was recorded on the traditional land of 370 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: the Warrangery people, part of the Coulan Nation. A big 371 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: thank you to Martin Nimmer for doing the sound mix.