How to be more productive

Master the art of productivity to achieve true work-life integration

Posted by: Team Tony

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When we say we want to be more productive, what does that really mean? We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so how is it that some people are able to accomplish so much more than others – and still have time to spend on doing the things that they love? Those who maximize their time have mastered the art of productivity.

These people don’t give in to the myth of work-life balance. They know that the only real strategy is complete work-life integration. Life isn’t a scale. You can’t take something from one side and put it in the other to “balance” it. And you don’t have to. When you stop thinking of work and life as separate components and accept that there’s an ebb and flow. Sometimes you will be forced to choose: What needs me right now? With work-life integration, you figure out where you best serve your world in that one moment. But how do you achieve work-life integration?

Jenna Kutcher knows all about work-life integration – and achieving your goals. You may have heard her podcast, Goal Digger, where she helps her listeners redefine success, chase bolder dreams and tackle their biggest goals. Jenna is an entrepreneur, an expert marketer, speaker and social media influencer. She has a strong voice, speaking out about important topics like body positivity, female entrepreneurship and some of the more difficult ones, like going through a miscarriage. She’s set massive goals for herself, achieved them, and has created an extraordinary life – one that’s on her terms and her time.

In this episode, Jenna shares how she took her wedding photography business, something that relied on her own personal involvement to be successful, and diversified it to the point where it runs even when she’s not there, and generates revenue 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She shares how she has created a million dollar business with multiple revenue streams, at just 31 years old.

Between running her company, speaking all over the world, and being a mom to her daughter, Conley, and wife to her husband, Drew, she has a lot going on. But because Jenna has mastered goal setting, productivity and time, she has completely integrated her work with her life. She’s able to spend time where it matters, with her family, and in her favorite place, Maui, for three months out of the year, where she completely disconnects.

Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? We’d all love to live such a balanced life – and we can. We just need to stop giving in to the myths that surround entrepreneurship, productivity and time management. Work-life balance is one of them. Making money your sole purpose for working is another. 

Jenna shares that one of the biggest myths she believed as an entrepreneur is that when you hit a certain amount of money, you’ve made it. Yet when she hit six figures, she only felt anxious. She hadn’t built a business that could function when she wasn’t there, and she quickly realized that her time was much more valuable than money. She says, “I wanted my time back. I wanted to be successful in life, not just in business. When I had time again, I figured out what I really wanted to do. All the pivotal changes that have happened, happened when I gave myself time.”

Listen to the podcast to get more actionable strategies for success, like:

• How to find your “why” – and how it can change
• Overcoming “mom guilt” once and for all
• Choosing mentors wisely and protecting your “scope of influence”
• How to maximize your time – without giving in to the myth of multitasking

EPISODE NOTES

[00:00] The power of the RPM System
[01:06] Season introduction
[01:54] Episode introduction
[04:09] Creating a business that thrives on its own
[04:50] The myth: When you hit 6 figures, you’ve made it
[05:50] Screw six figures, time is what’s important
[06:18] Time is the biggest currency we have
[06:45] The secret to business is diversifying
[07:06] How to decide what to focus on
[07:42] Defining what freedom means
[08:40] How to prioritize and get organized
[09:36] Start with just one thing
[10:50] Even though you can, doesn’t mean it’s wise
[11:21] Figuring out your forward vision
[12:02] Defining what is “enough”
[13:00] Determining your “why”
[14:30] Building a brand, not a business
[15:16] Work-life balance vs. work-life integration
[16:19] Dealing with guilt and learning to release it
[17:01] Ask: What needs me the most right now?
[18:04] How to grow a business, working part-time
[18:55] Putting fears to rest about being a working mom
[19:37] Jenna’s top tips for efficiency and productivity
[20:33] How to protect your scope of influence
[21:14] Jenna’s daily gratitude practice
[22:10] Setting boundaries with social media
[25:15] Episode credits

We all have the same number of hours in the day. People like Jenna have figured out how to maximize them. Instead of making the same mistakes Jenna did, let her advice guide you as you create your own, personal version of work-life integration – and achieve everything you ever wanted.