Summary

“In order to discover new oceans you first have to have the courage to loose sight of the shore.”

Graham Allcott is a best-selling author, speaker, social entrepreneur and the original ‘productivity ninja’. Armed with a mission to transform stuffy time management training courses into something more practical, human and fun, Graham founded Think Productive in April 2009. The company has since grown to spread the message of playful productivity across the UK and increasingly worldwide.

Graham is proud to be the best-selling author of practical books, ‘How to be a Productivity Ninja’, ‘Introducing Productivity’ and ‘How to be a Knowledge Ninja’, by Icon Books.

In this episode we discuss all things productivity including the notion that time management is dead and it now a case of attention management. Whether you are aiming to achieve more in life or want to learn how to be less ‘busy’ –  productivity is a key to your success.

I hope you enjoy this show and would love to hear from you including your comments and thoughts. Until next time peace, passion and purpose.

Key Take Outs

• Weakness become strengths: When we work to become stronger at areas that we are weak, it is through this change process we can have great learning’s that may be taught to others to assist them to improve in these areas also.
• Everyone has something to teach: This is a great life lesson and it is the notion that from everyone we encounter day-to-day and in life there is something to learn. Be open to this and have it set as an intention and you will learn a great deal.
• Time Management vs. Attention Management: We all have the same time every day so the idea we can manage time is a fallacy. It is up to us to manage our attention. Where do you choose to focus your attention will highly impact on your productivity.
• Focused Attention: Proactive attention, inactive attention, active attention. Break up your day to those things/tasks based on the attention that it requires. If something that requires your proactive attention you may choose to focus on this during the early hours of the day. For those activities that require limited or inactive attention you may choose to do those later in the day when your focus may not be as sharp.
• Planning: If you plan to rigidly it can become a stress in itself. We have to hold some level of flexibility with out plans. How ridged or structured you are, will highly depend on your personality style.
• Paper, apps & tools: Choose the medium that works best for you and don’t let them become distractions. There are great efficiencies that can come from using technology yet they can become larger distractions than those of the traditional methods so be mindful of this also. Apps will not make you more productive they are simply tools to assist you. Phycology first and technology second.
• Minimise your choices: We are all asked and have more choice than ever before and this can be debilitating. Too many choices make for too many decisions. If you can reduce the amount of decisions you make each day regardless of how minute they may seem you can become more effective. Give your attention to those decisions that matter and work to illuminate those that are irrelevant to your larger goals.
• Routines and habits: These help to reduce choice as they become habitual and also help to increase your productivity overall. The practices of exercise in the morning for example, can help build your disciplines and assist you in other practices throughout the day.
• Compromise: What compromises will you make in life to live a life that you desire. This may be a trade of from one aspect of life over another. For example you may choose to leave a hi paying job to have more freedom and less stress and in doing so trade that for less income or some reduction in the quality of lifestyle you live.

What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?

Drink less! Give myself some productivity advice and not to take life to seriously.

Graham’s interpretation of success

Having your life’s vision taking form.

Quick round questions

Favourite Food

Vegetarian chilli

Favourite Leisure Activitiy

Watching football

Favourite book(s)

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

Quote

“In order to discover new oceans you first have to have the courage to loose sight of the shore.” Chinese Proverb.

What does living life with passion and purpose mean?

Is there another way? Follow your passions and live with purpose. Sometimes this might mean you have to make some compromises in life.

How to find Graham and other links

Beyond busy podcast link here.

Twitter

Visit the ThinkProductive website here.

You can visit Grahams personal page here.