The REAL truth about productivity that hustle culture HATES!

You are looking at productivity all wrong.

At least I was.

If you have ever thought that being productive is all about your output - this episode is for you!

I get REAL about how you MUST:

• Reframe productivity!  It gets a bad wrap these days!
• A shift in perspective when it comes to your output and your worth!
• How to redefine productivity in a way that is EMPOWERING.
• The 5C Productivity Loop
• The one thing you aren't doing enough of...

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Transcript

0:00

Let's talk about productivity. I feel like productivity gets a bad rap and I get it because one of my sticky floors always used to be tying by worth. To my output and it started as a little girl. Good grades got praise, right. I prided myself on being on honor, roll, making straight A's and of being a great whatever it was at the time. Piano school cheerleading, you name it. And that only continued through college and into my career. The more I produced. The more worthy. I was now that realization is not something that has come to me overnight, but it is one of those sticky floors that I have already put a lot of work into and will continue to do so because hustle culture is a part of our society, right? It's a badge of honor to be busy. And everywhere you turn. There's these mantras that are focused on hustle culture. You hear a hustle harder and every day I'm hustling. And while I do love a good hustle, I really had to reframe my beliefs and thoughts around what it meant to be productive and what it means to hustle. So in today's episode, I'm going to give you the real truth about productivity that the hustle culture hates. You are listening to the glass ceiling and sticky floor podcast. The podcast that will empower you to shatter limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors to uncover infinite possibilities. So you can live your best life. I'm Erica Rooney and I'm on a mission to bring more women into positions of power and keep them there. I'm obsessed with all things, growth and abundance. And I'm here to talk to you through the tried and true secrets. To get you to level up your career and your life. We talked about the hard stuff here. Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear and burnout. So pull up a seat, pop it in near bud and let's dive in. All right. Y'all I'm going to kick this off with a core truth that I want you to really hear before we dive in. And that is that you don't have to sacrifice your sanity for success. You don't your days do not have to be filled with losing your shit on those you love because you've hustled all along. And now your hustle has totally depleted you of your energy. Nope. Ah, that ain't productive, SIS. My definition of productivity has totally shifted in the past few years from one that was focused on output. Equals my worth. To the very simplified version of going after what she wants. And achieving it is productivity. Now even more simplified your vision, plus you're doing. Equals your productivity. Now you're probably saying, Erica, that sounds. A lot like hustling. So stick with me. Yes, it is. But it also isn't. So your vision might be to execute on a huge project at work. So in this instance, productivity would be mapping out the project plan at delegating tasks, organizing the required meetings and so on. Seeing that project come to fruition. One milestone at a time in this case is productivity. But what if your vision is to protect your mental health? It might mean getting a subscription to an online therapy provider, like Talkspace or better help. It could be finding the right therapist and then attending therapy on a regular basis, watching the gains in your mental health. Add up over time. Now I don't know about you, but a couple years ago, me going to therapy. It was necessary, but I don't know that I would've called it productive, but with this method, it really is. Now I'm gonna take it a step further. What if your vision was to rest?'cause y'all rest is important. Rest is critical to success. It's an activity that should be scheduled into your weekly routines at a minimum. Productivity in this instance might be talking to your partner and getting that person to take the kids to the park for a few hours. So that you can sit on your couch, cozied up under your gray furry blanket with a bowl of snacks resting on your stomach. So you can catch up on the latest love is blind or Vanderpump rules without hearing mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, 27 times in a row. You see. Vision in this instance was the rest. And the doing. Was getting your husband out the door with the kids, snack prep show prep that equals productivity. Now I know that doesn't match up with this concept of productivity. Today, which is your output, right? What you produce, because if you're sitting there watching love is blind, are you really even doing anything? And y'all already know. You are resting and rest is essential to you having the energy that you need to do the other big work that you need to do. Like those project plans. Now Laura May Martin. She's an executive productivity advisor at Google, which what a cool title that is. She has created what she calls the productivity loop and she links the vision and the execution inside this loop. Now stick with me while I walk you through her five CS. Of productivity and we take it through its entire life cycle. Now, the first seat is calm. This is you guessed it when you're doing something that is kind of like you're at rest, right. It could be an activity that might not be. Productive by the old terms, but it could be when you're out for a walk or doing something super mind-numbing that doesn't require you to be. Laser focused in, on work. So lately for me, it's been doing puzzles with my kids and making friendship bracelets. Honestly, we've got a ton of beads left over from the Queen's birthday party, but it could be something like paint by numbers or adult coloring books as well. Now the second C is to create. And that is when this idea comes to you, that would be great to put into practice, whether that's something at work or in your home, and like your. Just a light bulb goes off. Inspiration has struck y'all. That is the second. See. Then you're going to move into the third seat for capture. And this is such a game changer because it's about taking that idea. And making a note of that idea, not a mental note, cause y'all know that mental capacity is limited, but physically writing it down on a sticky note or capturing it in the notes app of your iPhone. However you do it, but either way capture this idea so that you don't lose it because let's be real. Y'all how many great ideas have you had that you didn't write down and are now lost forever? Um, I can't even count. But the fourth C is consolidate, which is gather all of your ideas, all of your to-dos, all of the things you got going on and get them on a list for the next day. This is kind of like organizing the troops, getting the idea, ready to assimilate. And it, it should include making time for the idea that you thought about and that you captured. In the previous C. And then the fifth C is too close, which means to execute. It means to implement. And then once you've done all the work you need to do to close on that idea, whether it is putting a new outdoor patio outside or a better process at work. You've closed the loop. You've completed the project and then you go back to the first seat call. And that's the constant life cycle of new ideas of getting them into place and executing on them. Now someone who's good at productivity is always flowing through this lifecycle and has multiple ones in flow. At the same time. For example, I'm in the middle of writing out this podcast. And an idea came up that I want to make sure I include in my digital course. Re-imagined at all. I don't want to forget, I can't stop mid cycle for this podcast, but I can take a quick beat. I can pause. Capture my idea. And then get back into closing on this current one. Before I move on. And that is the true art of productivity. Yes. It's like keeping all the balls in the air at one time, but it is done in a way that is strategic and focused and very, very, very intentional. Now, one of the most impactful things that helps hone this skill that I teach in my course re-imagined at all, is the art of the capture and the close, because you can have all the ideas in the world. You can have all the goals and the plans for your life, but if you cannot capture that idea, And execute on it. You're going to end up stuck in this cycle of not getting anything done. Now I like to think of this, like cleaning a house. And the best way to clean a house in my experience and validated by professional house cleaners is one room at a time. Start to finish. You start by decluttering room, picking up all the toys and all the other debris that has been thrown all over. And then you move around corner by corner, going in a square. You put everything in its place, you move through everything else in strategic order, clean the windows, dust, everything vacuum and so on. Right. Then once that room is done, you move on to the next. Because here's the thing. If you try to vacuum the entire home hallways and all you end up missing places, dust, bunnies, or just scattering around, or someone walks through and throws more crap on your already decluttered space. But like for real though, y'all how many times have you cleaned off your kitchen table or island? Just today? Too many. Probably already. But by the end of the day, you may have vacuumed in declutter, but you may have had to do it 10 times and you may have missed some windows and you skipped over a hallway and the kids have totally turned your home into a minefield as soon as they walk in the door from school. And guess what you have spent all day cleaning. And yet you've gotten nothing done. You feel me? So let's take this back to productivity. You have your vision. You find that in the call? You capture that vision somewhere on a list in your phone, on a sticky note, whatever works for you. You consolidate everything into your place of organization, a list, an agenda, your calendar, and then you close it. You execute it. Check done. And that my friend is true productivity. And I love how Laura puts it in such this such a clever loop. It's a great visual to remind you, to invite those ideas in and exactly how to execute on them. And truth be told I do get my best ideas when I'm at rest. Don't you. Seriously, think about this. Do you get your best ideas when you are slogging through emails or organizing your attic or in the middle of a big ass project? Hell no. Your mind is too busy and too wrapped up in the task at hand. But what about when you're in the shower? What about when you're out for a run or a Walker, maybe just folding laundry. Now that is when ideas strike. And that is because you are giving yourself your mind, this space to breathe. The space to expand, and that is where you can unlock ideas and invite them in. And then it's up to you to execute. But I want to remind you, there is a lot of talk about getting these ideas and capturing them and doing the work. And yes. That is the key to massive success in your life, but do not forget that rest. And ideating on rest is productive. Taking a quiet vacation with your partner is also very productive. Even if you weren't doing anything. Yo, my 10-year anniversary was in April and may I technically have to, I have a legal wedding day and a celebration day. That's a story for another day, but, but. For my legal 10-year wedding anniversary, I gave you an a weekend away with yours, truly at the Omni in Asheville. Now I organize spa days. My mom to watch the kids, the dog and time off work. That is the piece of productivity that we can easily identify with and recognize. Now the second part of productivity will be to actually go to the Omni. Totally unplugged from work and devices and plug into each other. That is my vision for this weekend away with Dan it's to celebrate 10 years and to be totally into each other, just so absorbed in each other. And if that doesn't happen for whatever reason, Maybe, because we start pouring into our phones or we're not connecting at dinner and we're not talking. The trip will not be productive. My relationship with productivity y'all it's always been complex. It's always been about output and how much I can do and hustle harder all the time. Because I have this desire to always want to do more. I think I've told you multiple times. One of my core values is growth, but I have to remember. To slow down. I have to remember that my output is not my worth, that I am worthy of rest that my success, or rather what others DEMA success does not determine my worth. That I am worthy just as I am. And that, that. Woman myself. I'm worthy of rest. And when you embrace it, when you really believe in your bones and you do the work and maybe recognize that like me, maybe you have a toxic relationship with productivity. If you relate your output to your worth. You start to revamp and redefine your relationship with what it means to be productive and you actually do get more shit done. It's incredible. So my message here is simple. Vision plus doing is productivity. And rest is productive. Sleep is productive. Sitting on your ass at the pool is productive. If it matches your vision and your intention. And that's it friends. I really hope that you enjoyed this new take on what it means to be productive. And I hope it gives you a refreshing view. I hope it allows you to invite in rest and relaxation into your life with purpose. But before you go, I've got to tell you. The digital course reimagine it all is underway. And I have a huge, huge, huge discount for anyone who signs up before May 10th. Now, this course is the personal and professional playbook for ambitious women, you will learn how to make your own success, master your time and unlock a new level of potential with my science backed system that is designed to add value to your life. Not to do's to your list. Seriously, you do not want to miss out on this deal of a deal because the price has gone back up to full price after May 10th, no exceptions, but y'all thank you for listening and tuning in. If you haven't already dropped that five star review, do it today. It truly helps it land in the hands of the woman that needs to hear it the most. And don't forget to jump over to my socials, to Instagram, Facebook, Tik, TOK, LinkedIn. I dropped some really great stuff over there. So you do not want to miss out. And until next time, remember the only. The ceilings that exist are the ones we place over ourselves. Let's smash them together.