Episodes

Episode 42 - I claim that we cover the meaning of life, the universe, and everything - in episode 42. It's possible I claimed it incorrectly, but we had a great chat about how YOU can finally free time up to get that creative project up and running - or in fact, do anything which has been burning a hole in the back of your mind for the last few years. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Jessica's first piece of work that I discovered - Out On The Wire Then I found the amazing - Growing Gill...

Episode 41 - Four ideas and suggestions for the price of one episode! And, of course, that price is ZERO pence, cents, yen, euro etc... Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  Before we hit the subjects, a simple plea asking for your help - if you like what we do, please tell one friend who you think would also like what we do ONE: A great blog we found at lifehacker.com from Michelle Woo Michelle suggests we should split our to-do list into 2: A simple list A hard list She goes on to ex...

Hi – this is just to tell you, that if you were expecting an episode to drop last weekend, you’re right – it didn’t! But there is stuff coming next weekend! In the meantime why not have a listen to some past episodes, they’re really good – and you must have missed one of them! Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: * Nothing – but keep your eyes peeled next weekend! As always, we’re really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: * Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by goi...

Episode 40 - Problems not going away? Struggling to solve the big ones? Then this episode is for you. We look at the Creative Problem Solving model and how it can help YOU sort them out. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  Steve In The Field is back - OH NO! What do we mean by 'problem'? The things that cause us to struggle: What the heck is 'convergent thinking'? Quotes - they sound nice, but many don't really help, do they? Lisa and Steve at the table are back - HOORAY! We demonst...

Episode 39 - A roundup of the best stuff we've found on social media in these last 2 weeks to help you get better. If you recognise any of the words in the title, there are some solutions for you here. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  Getting used to the new studio - does it sound OK to you? Some great resource on social media we've found to help you get better This fab article by John Rampton on - Discipline versus Motivation Miranda Marquit says - willpower is a limited resource, a...

Episode 38 - David Allen said that anything with more than 2 steps is a project. But what if they've got 10 steps, 20 or more? We've found a simple solution to help you manage everything from a trip to the shops to a full-blown project. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  Planning a party, running a website or a blog, having a family - these are all projects Why projects can be a problem to get hold of Action lists are not the best solution to them 'Spirally' bits How Trello can help ...

Mini Episode – Just a few words from me rambling a bit about the podcast, moving house and how lucky we all really are to have the problems that we have.

Episode 37 - In this final episode on managing your focus and attention, we look at dealing with the stuff that comes up in your day and give you some great techniques and solutions to help you get it done well. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: What\'s led to this episode: Episode 34 - How to say \'NO\' to reduce your workload Episode 35 - How to decide what\'s important when prioritising Episode 36 - How to use 5 key tools to plan your day: A notebook (or somewhere to dump your \'mind\...

Episode 36 - In the second of our series on managing your focus, we give you the structure to help you set your day up to be efficient, manage your focus and attention, and win at life. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: Don't wish your life away just trying to get to the end of your day Demand a high quality of life DURING the day 5 Tools and Techniques to bullet-proof your day and make progress towards what\'s important Some of it comes from - David Allen\'s GTD And some from - Peter B...

Episode 35 - The first episode in a series of 3 where I share with you my trusted system for managing my activities. In this episode, we work out how to define what's important to you, so you can make the rest of the system work really well. This is an interactive episode - you will need some paper and a pen if you want to work this out for yourself. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  Time Management doesn't work - you can't manage time! Why can we only ever do one thing? Stop trying t...

Episode 34 - We start a series of episodes on managing your time and priorities even better. This time, we're looking at a simple way of reducing the amount on your plate in the first place: Saying 'No'. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  Who Evette Huntley Flindt was Why we're interested in her firstborn son What he says about choices Why it's sometimes easier to say 'YES' Kenny Nguyen, CEO of Big Fish Presentations, and why he thinks we should consider 'NO' His video about it from...

Episode 33 - We go on a journey from modern-day Manchester to 1980s Rome and learn how you can solve YOUR procrastination problems. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  Who on earth is Bradley Griffin Why is he in Starbucks? (The clue is that the episode is about procrastination) What that's got to do with 1980s Italy How a student there had some problems, and why it matters to you how he solved them The Pomodoro Technique An introduction video from the Cirillo Company The basic steps...

Episode 32 - We solve the problem of getting stuck and not seeing things through to the end. The answer is not only simple but can give you the best of both worlds. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:  What happens in our heads when we get stuck on things An article from Inc.com which refers to a Princeton Study Why it's the same as making a choice between 'cake now' or 'broccoli later' How this may explain why we get distracted and don't finish stuff The 3 SHARP solutions: 1) Giving y...

Episode 31 - In a bid to live up to our aim of 'not taking ourselves too seriously', our last episode of the year features the best (worst) of our wannabe roving reporter - Steve In The Field. Fortunately, the episode was hosted by Steve In The Studio, so there is SOME normality. Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: One thing - shall we keep him? Tell us in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook

Episode 30- In this episode, we help you prepare for a sharper new YOU for next year by revisiting the subject of routines. We've produced a compilation episode on the subject, with all the really useful stuff from episodes 12 and 13. If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here:  Episode 12 (Hello Good Morning), where we cover: Why you should think about your morning routine Planning to plan from a personal perspective Having a morning routine isn't just for people run...

Episode 29 In this episode, we help you prepare for a sharper new YOU for next year by revisiting the subject of goals. We've produced a compilation episode on the subject, with all the really useful stuff from episodes 18 and 19. If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here:  Episode 18 (Why Your Goals Aren't Working) where we cover: The resource out there on setting goals 5 steps that many people agree on when setting successful goals 1) Visualising your goal – invoke...

Episode 28 - In this episode, we help you prepare for a sharper new YOU for next year by revisiting the subject of habits. We've produced a compilation episode on the subject, with all the really useful stuff from episodes 5,6 and 7. If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here:  Episode 5 (Breaking Bad), where we cover: What are habits? How are they formed? According to Charles Duhigg in his book – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change The notion o...

Episode 27 - In this episode, we turn the tables on Steve. Lisa interviews him to find out about the podcast journey so far, what influences the content, where the ideas come from and, importantly, to ask for your input on where you\'d like it to go from here* Some of the stuff in there are:  How Steve doesn\'t know the difference between Paddington Bear and Winnie The Pooh Why is Steve interested in his podcast stuff How we both use it day to day GTD (You can get the book here) Morning r...

Episode 26 - In this episode, we have a look at the humble checklist. In today's complex and sophisticated life, we often have equally complex solutions. However, sometimes there's still a place for the simple checklist. It can be a lifesaver, and in certain circumstances - literally. Some of the stuff in there is:  Why should we consider checklists? Who uses them Our brain and why it needs help at times We considered the Psychology Today article on why we only retain certain information ...

Episode 25 - This week, we challenge the idea that being 'positive' is always the best approach. In fact, we discovered some research that suggests it could even hold you back: Some of the stuff in there is: Astonishment at our global listener group Me failing to greet our listeners in a few different languages The glass half full half empty scenario - it might not be helpful How social media can make us feel like our lives are half empty Our discovery of where we are in the world on incom...

Episode 24 - This week, we (Lisa and I) talk about using ideas we have looked at before and applied to being a working Mum or Dad or anyone who has to balance work with life. We consider why we tend to keep those things separate when actually, one can help the other. Some of the stuff in there is:  How it seems easier to apply productivity solutions to work Why it's different to apply them to family or home life The difference between a work meeting and sitting to dinner with family It al...

Episode 23 - In this episode, I've researched 152 different productivity and efficiency tips, to find you the best. These 9 will make a big difference to how much stuff you can get done - freeing you up to spend more time doing the stuff you really WANT to do. Enjoy! Some of the stuff in there is:  How Eating The Frog will mean you actually get things done Why you should Ditch The Phone to concentrate Automate Or Eliminate - how they can save you time The Brainscape.com study on shortcuts...

Episode 22 - We're having a look at sleep this time. We learn why sleep is important, how a lack of it can literally kill you, what happens when we do get sleep and how to achieve it. There's also a liberal sprinkling of nonsense from 'Steve out in the field' which he thought was a good idea: Some of the stuff in there is:  What can happen if you don't get enough sleep There's a really interesting animation - by the Ted team here Why only a few people can survive on low levels of sleep The...

Episode 21 - UPDATE* - Mike is no longer working in the voiceover industry, but I think there's lots to get out of this episode, so I've left it up. This week we talk to Mike Broderick. Mike is a UK based entrepreneur who specialises in Voiceover work. Mike shared with us his challenges, his solutions, and how he gets things done whilst continually revisiting how he does them. There are some practical tips in there, and I think a lovely story on Mike's frame of mind. Enjoy. Some of the stuff i...