Productivity Expert and Coach, Charlie Gilkey, is our guest for the 178th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We've admitted our struggles with getting things done on the podcast before—and neither one of us is a fan of traditional time management tactics like setting SMART goals...  so it made sense to have Charlie on to talk through how we can start finishing and get more done. We asked Charlie about:

•  how he accidentally became a speaker, author and coach

•  exactly what he does as a coach and how he helps his clients

•  why coaches ask so many questions (and don’t always share the answers)

•  an example of how Charlie works with his clients to help them find the real issues

•  why so many people shy away from the work that could help them level up

•  why accountability helps anyone who wants achieve more

•  why time management isn’t the answer (but you still need it)

•  focus blocks and how to use them to get more done

•  how to stop what you’re doing that’s keeping you from getting what you want

•  how to figure out if you’re a lark, an owl, or an emu

•  his advice for figuring out what you really want

•  the hardest question Charlie asks people (and why)

•  why he doesn’t believe anyone is inherently a procrastinator

•  the tools we can use to create a better vision for our lives

•  the difference between those who make it and those who give up

•  what his book is about and what you’ll get out of it

•  what he does to grow his skills and be a better coach for his clients

If you struggle with getting things done, or finishing the thing you start... or you just want to quit and watch Netflix for a few weeks, you don't want to miss this episode. To hear it, click the play button below, or scroll down for a full transcript. Better still, subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

The Coaching Habit

The Advice Trap

Joanna Wiebe

Val Geisler

The Spice Girls

Double Double

Start Finishing (Charlie’s book)

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Finish by John Acuff

Charlie’s website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

 

Full Transcript:

Rob:   This episode is brought to you by The Copywriter Club In Real Life, our live event in San Diego March 12th through 14th. Get your tickets now at thecopywriterclub.com/tccirl.

Kira:  What if you could hang with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes, and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Rob and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast.

Rob:   You're invited to join the club for episode 178 as we chat with author and business coach Charlie Gilkey about how to take an idea from start to finish, what it takes to level up your business, how to effectively use time to get more done, and what it takes to do your best work.

Kira:  Charlie, welcome!

Rob:   Hey, Charlie.

Charlie:        Thanks so much for having me, guys. I'm pumped to be here.

Kira:  Yeah. We're pumped! I have been looking forward to this for a while. So let's just start, Charlie, with your story. For anyone who doesn't know you as well, how did you end up as an executive coach, speaker, an author, and a philosopher?

Charlie:        Well, when it comes to the executive coach, speaker, and author bit, all of that was super accidental. I fell into this backassward, in the sense where I had come back. So let's roll back to 2006, 2007. I had recently come back from being a deployed soldier for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I still had my career as an Army officer. I was a logistics officer. And I was also pursuing my PhD in philosophy. So I'm a social philosopher and an ethicist.

And it seems so sophomoric now, looking back as a 40-year-old, looking back at my 26-year-old self. But my 26-year-old self was like,