productivity – Kristin West

Bullet Journal reboot

Even though we’ve been under quarantine, I’ve been busy. Today, I started to re-build my bullet journal after a pause. For me, the bullet journal is a tool of self-discovery, self-management and self-discipline.

I started bullet journaling last September as a means of achieving more of what I desired, instead of reacting to my industry and its whims. New to bullet journaling, my journal is far from perfect…like me.

My focus today, in prepping my bullet-journal, was “Where am I now?” I’ve changed, the world has changed. My journal needs to reflect those changes.

Things I’ve learned:

Less is more. I used to have an 18 task to-do list. I trimmed it down to five today.
I gave my permission to let go of what was not working. There’s a lot of should-s. There’s a lot of hype of around morning rituals, affirmations, etc. I am not trying to force myself to do something because it’s trendy. I am doing it because it works for me.
No matter what I plan, the best things come when I yield and receive. I didn’t plan on attempting my first feature film this year. It wasn’t in the journal or the plan. Guess, what? 2020 has brought a few surprises. No matter what I plan, I trust that there’s a divine plan that’s working out for me too.
Productivity is not a substitute for happiness. Yes, I can be productive, but I can be productively unhappy. That was the state of so many people prior to the pandemic. It’s time to be happy. I don’t have to pile on the projects, errands, and chores to prove that I deserve happiness.
Habits and habituation are the building blocks of life. I am an unconventional person. I am a night owl. I am nerdilicious. There’s a lot of ways I don’t fit into the traditional “successful adult” paradigm. Yet, I am a successful adult and that’s because of my habits. One of the best things about bullet journaling is that it helps you encourage good habits. I’ve seen tremendous improvement in many areas.
Just because you can carry the load doesn’t mean you should. A never-ending task list is a form of avoidance. The quarantine helped me face what all of those bullets were helping me avoid.

As we re-enter the new normal, I am keeping my journal more responsive. I am not demanding too much of myself. I am trying not to make my plans too elaborate too fast.

Here. Now. Today.

Here. Now. Today.

It’s my new mantra.

Too often, we are not in the present. We’re mining the middens of the past trying to explain away our bad feelings or bad behavior or we’re floating into painful projections of a future more akin to a post-apocalyptic world.

Lately, I’ve been dealing with my anxiety. Part of my job as a movie producer is to prevent potential problems with production and minimize liabilities as much as possible. My job is to look at a script and ask myself, “What could go wrong here,” and “Where is there a waste of money or other resources?”

abstract analog art camera — Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

Therefore, as part of being in a leadership position, I do have to put some mind-space in the future and the what-ifs. People count on me to anticipate and solve problems. And if I solve a problem that never grows into a full-blown “issue”, all the better! However, once it makes my heart race or prevents me from moving forward, I’ve started to go to:

Here. Now. Today.

Here–where I am–the space–my office, the coffee shop, etc.

Now–what am I doing in the now–data entry, memorizing, budgeting

Today–the actual date and time

Here. Now. Today.

I also have to accept there’s enough entropy that I won’t be able to anticipate all the issues. I recently toured a movie ranch that lost 20 structures in the last California wildfire. There’s no way anyone could have predicted that specific facility would have lost all those structures–iconic ones. There are limits to what we can foresee and anticipate, even if we have keen minds and heightened intuition.

If you’re feeling anxious, or are tasked with trying to lead a group, especially projecting the future, know that you can’t project or prognosticate everything. You can only do the best you can do.

Here, now, today is our greatest point of power.

Reeling in Our Focus

There are so many distractions. Sometimes, in our hectic lives, we have competing priorities, which can make focusing even harder. This past week on What Women Want Talk Radio, Judy Goss and I had guests Christine Hassler and Nancy Ganzekaufer, who coached us on how to make our lives more reflective of our deeply held priorities. If you’ve been overwhelmed by your to-do list or suffering from a bad case of analysis paralysis, you’ll find the candor of Christine and Nancy refreshing.

Learn more on Mogul.

Go For “It” !

What makes you tick? What makes make you say “That’s IT.” This past Wednesday’s What Women Want Talk Radio episode focused on finding your “IT”—what makes you tick and feel alive. I think this show is great for the new graduates out there who may be struggling with finding a personally fulfilling path.

Chaitra Radhakrishna started her career in computer science in Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, but after finding herself unfulfilled, she moved to the US and discovered her talents for web design and marketing. She founded PinkPot, a lifestyle blog that blossomed into something more.

Jane Bishop spent her early life traveling the globe with her military family, which pushed her to develop a strong sense of self and constantly find her “IT”. After a corporate job caused her severe burnout, she focused on building her own business and now offers consulting, coaching, public speaking and is the author of the new book, The Bread Box, which focuses on finding the extraordinary in the ordinary stuff of life.

I also opened up about my “IT”, which is the movie business. I constantly had to say “yes” to my it over the years and still do so today. I love when Jane mentioned the power of play in our lives, because I think that’s something that so many adults lose touch of when “adulting”.

Listen to the broadcast here.

On Mondays Say, “Thank You”.

lawana

We see all sorts of hashtags out there: #mondaymotivation, #wednesdaywisdom. These serve to buoy us through the week with its ups and downs. Lat night on What Women Want Talk Radio, we had the opportunity to experts to help us get through our weeks with finesse.

Listen to the conversation here.

Our two guests this week, Energy Management Coach & Author Lawana Harris and Celebrity & Lifestyle Expert Jill Simonian, are wonder woman, balancing and harmonizing vibrant careers with motherhood. We see that hashtag #mondaymotivation, but Jill and Lawana have tips to keep up positive and productive all week long. If you find yourself snoozing at your desk mid-week, check out this powerful conversation.

I think the ultimate message of this conversation was to ground yourself in gratitude everyday, which will power you through the difficult passages of the work week. When the alarm clock rings, do you say thank you? I am going to!

Multiple Career Mania: How Many Tabs YOU Got Open?

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In the race to be more productive, we can lose our self-care and inner knowing. Often, we also have a hard time juggling priorities, especially if we are pursing multiple streams of income. This week on What Women Want Talk Radio, Joan Pelzer of Joan Pelzer Media LLC and Pamella Horton of Maven’s Connections shared some great insight and life hacks about not only being more productive, but being productive in meaningful ways.

Learn more on Mogul.