Ten Productive Questions

By Project Productivity

We are on a mission to help Filipinos redefine their relationship with productivity. The Ten Productive Questions dives deep on the meaning of true productivity in work and life.... more

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FAQs about Ten Productive Questions:

How many episodes does Ten Productive Questions have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.

Ten Productive Questions episodes:

January 03, 2022What Can I Control?
This 10th question was placed as the last episode of Season 1 of Ten Productive Questions Podcast for a reason. When we talk about productivity, it is really about practicing what you can control and accepting those that you cannot. There is a thin line between exercising control and providing structure especially when it comes to the management of a team. Leaders are believed to have control over the people they are in charge of, and this must be exercised in order for the assumed positive results to be achieved. In reality, however, this is not what happens. On the other hand, a leader who provides his or her team with a sense of psychological safety to make decisions and control what they do are likely to produce superior results.
The discussion offered here by Christian Alan Vibar and David Angway will surely hit to the core. Make sure to listen to this episode to give you a better perspective into what things you are able to control. Happy listening!
Highlights of the Episode
An insight on what you can do NOW, instead of waiting for the New Year. (...How do you prevent going back into the rabbit hole?)

Leadership in relation to control and/or providing the structure.

David Angway shares how most of his sales team has lost control over their personal lives. (...As a manager, what did he do?)

Control involves focusing on essential things and making decisions.

Thoughts on using social media as an escape when things go out of our control. (...What can they do to get their control back?)

How can parents exercise control over their children without being a control freak?

One cannot have control over everything.

Control and productivity in the work from home set up.
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website - https://productivity.ph/
...more
1h 8min
January 03, 2022Am I Kind to Myself?
When was the last time that you really took the time to check on yourself? Chances are it’s been awhile since you’ve taken the time to forgive yourself or maybe not at all.
Compassion is an attitude that comes naturally if you were brought up in such a loving and unconditional environment. Children should feel that their homes are not places of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), but rather a place that is safe. If they don’t feel safe, going through adulthood will be full of resentment and insecurities, and the resulting experiences will always be that of failures.These days more and more young people are being hard on themselves, subjecting themselves to self ostracism because of what the world presents in the social circle and in social media.
This is an episode not to be missed, because the ideas presented will help you let go of perfect expectations and even ask for help. Enjoy!
Highlights of the Episode
Introduction to why this question is the topic of the podcast.

What are some of the causes why people become their worst critic and fall victim to self blame?

Parenting mistakes are fostering comparison instead of self-compassion.

What is "Cancel Culture" and its effects?

An analysis of a line said by Heneral Luna in the movie of the same name, promoting the thought that the enemy is ourselves.

Showing compassion to yourself is giving yourself a chance.

What kind of leadership comes from a place of compassion?

Being kind to yourself starts with forgiving yourself.
Resources:
Book mentioned in the conversation - The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
51min
January 03, 2022What Will Happen Next?
There is an undeniable power in anticipation! Even for those who say they are the free flowing kind of people who do not need to plan, they have in fact deliberately planned not plan. Whatever your attitude in life when it comes to planning, the end result will be its consequences. Planning actually allows us to live in the present, in anticipation of what will happen in the future.
In this episode of The Ten Productive Questions, the eighth of the series, this question presents a fresh approach when it comes to planning. The conversation between Christian Alan Vibar and David Angway offers new perspectives when it comes to planning. Find out what those are and enjoy the takeaways.
Highlights of the Episode
Introduction to the topic of thinking about the future.

How does anticipation make a difference in making the learning stick compared to when not using the power of anticipation?

Whether in business, sports, or personal life, anticipating is an overlooked aspect of planning.

What do you do with the things that you can control?

The two important steps to keep in mind when planning for the future. (...Diving deep into shame, guilt and compassion.)

What about people who have the “come what may” attitude or those who do not want to plan at all, what do they do next?

In the planning stage, what are the steps you should take that will move you closer to your goals?

Having the courage to anticipate takes more courage than intelligence.
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
47min
January 03, 2022What Are My Routines?
Routines are created to provide a semblance in our daily lives, to be able to feel good about ourselves and as a way for us to allow time to reflect and be creative. Routines here are not the rigid kind that you have to follow because routines in itself come with changes. You don’t have to be a perfectionist with your output, but on your effort, which is controllable. There is no one-size fits all routine for everyone. Your routines can change, for example if you're part of a shifting workforce.
There was an interesting AHA moment by David when Christian discussed “pre mortem”, coined from an analogy of a known author, Annie Duke, on anticipating why you will fail before it actually happens. Keep listening until the end for more on this fascinating topic about routines, including a discussion of rituals and superstitions.
Highlights of the Episode
Introduction of the topic with Christian and David telling their favorite routines.

Routines as perceived by the principles of Project Productivity.

Tips on how to create perfect routines. (...Is there such a thing as perfect routines?)

The relationship of Procrastination and Perfectionism.

The right routine to place into your "Time Boxing" (...What are the chances to be productive for shift workers?)

What does being productive mean for you?

A side joke by David Angway in relation to routine - Why are the noses of Filipinos flat?

What about if you don't have a reason to find your routine? (...Is there really no reason?)

Why is there a need to plan the obstacles? (...A look at the pre-mortem analogy.)

The difference between rituals and superstitions.

What are our attitudes to routines? (... Why does it work or not work?)
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
1h
January 03, 2022Am I Resting Enough?
We live in a culture where we view successful people's narratives that their success is due to their hard work as very impressive. Coming from a third world country, we believe that the only way out of poverty is to work really hard. We are slowly copying the Japanese Karoshi phenomenon, one that the Japanese are slowly doing away with in its present generation. Karoshi means “death from overwork”, which emanates from a national attempt to restructure the economy after the oil crisis of 1973. In 1987, the Ministry of Health of Japan recognized that the Karoshi culture is a severe social problem and has encouraged work-life balance to halt the deaths among its workforce.
In this episode of Ten Productive Questions podcast, Christian and David delved into the factor of rest as a catalyst for efficient productivity. Rest affects our mental health and productivity, so it is of the utmost importance that we make resting, one of our personal responsibilities.
Highlights of the Episode
Lack of rest creates a ripple effect that is detrimental to our mental health and productivity.

The hustle culture in relation to Japan's Karoshi culture.

Why is it important to recharge our mental energy with rest and sleep?.

Which is better, work-life balance or work-life integration?

Christian's perspective on people equating their identity with work.

David Angway shares his personal story about rest before Project Productivity and his analogy of the fog when going up to Baguio.

The vicious cycle of trying to appear as if we are occupied with work through unnecessary activity such as doing back to back meetings.

Leaders who know the values of rest in opposition to the hustle culture.

The sleep revolution, unlocking the power of rest and sleep.

Get restful with these practical tips.
Resources:
Karoshi culture
Book mentioned by David Angway - Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
53min
January 03, 2022What Are My Obstacles?
People get frustrated when things don’t turn out well according to their plan. It burst like a bubble right in front of them because they have not anticipated all the obstacles. Considering obstacles beforehand allows you to come up with creative solutions and even be pleasantly surprised when they do not occur.
This fourth of the series on Ten Productive Questions will open your eyes to the reality that obstacles are inevitable. Lots of learning here as Christian and David dig deeply into this topic, including why quitting and obstacles go hand in hand. Listen up and let's see what lessons we can learn from this episode. Happy listening!
Highlights of the Episode
A prelude to the topic with a throwback on David’s first 6 weeks in the Project Productivity.

Being aware is the breakthrough through an obstacle.

What happens when we totally overlook the part that there will always be obstacles and when we acknowledge them?

Christian and David share about how they started with their careers and how they faced their obstacles.

Why obstacles and quitting go hand in hand?

The benefits of journaling or making a list of your obstacles.

How do you find the obstacles and the limiting beliefs that are within ourselves?

The three components of the habit loop. (...What component can you change?)
Resources:
Book mentioned in the conversation- Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
42min
January 03, 2022Should I Say Yes to This?
Saying “yes” to almost anything presented to you is just like the shiny object syndrome and it can lead to frustrations not only for yourself but to other people dragged into the situation just because someone said yes. This stems out from the two important factors that deal mostly with our thoughts: the first factor deals with how we feel when faced by a tempting situation or opportunity and the second is emotionally driven.
We will be exploring a very interesting topic today in this fourth episode of Ten Productive Questions Podcast, which is very important to understand in order to prevent frustrations from adversely affecting our productivity. Join Christian and David in this episode as they unravel the human perspectives in saying yes almost immediately, rather than saying no. Let’s dive in!
Highlights of the Episode
How does the shiny object syndrome lead to frustration and affect productivity?

Two important reasons why we say yes immediately.

Why is saying "No" very hard to do?

The overconfidence factor that leads to trouble when saying “Yes” indiscriminately.

Ways to navigate conversations that will help you to say “No”.

Three reasons you aren’t doing what you say you will do.
Resources:
TedX Talk of Amanda Crowell - 3 reasons you aren’t doing what you say you will do
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
54min
January 03, 2022How Does My Day Look Like?
When we intentionally create order and structure around what is going on around us on a daily basis, true productivity happens. With the many distractions around us, especially our social media apps, we tend to find ourselves all over the place not knowing where to start and without accomplishing our tasks.
In order for us to stay focused and have clarity with our routine, there needs to be a structure and we can only have that when we have a schedule. And we start by looking at what your day looks like. It looks simple right, but in reality, it is easier said than done. In this third episode of the Ten Productive Questions podcast, Christian Alan Vibar and David Angway take us closer to the realities that we need to reconcile within ourselves. Make sure you pay attention to the entire podcast and better yet, take down notes.
Highlights of the Episode
Why do we need to take a look at our day?

A look back on a day for David before Project Productivity.

What is hard on scheduling e.g. finding that balance in the control and the impact you bring to others?

Why is it important to have a cadence in accountability?

How to be intentional when creating a schedule?

The three processes in building a good schedule;
Building the right foundation

Being aware of the five aspects in time boxing

The feedback loop.
How do you build the right foundation?

The five aspects of time boxing;
Morning Routines

Lights Off

Focus Hours

Office hours or Client Servicing Hours

Downtime
What does your feedback loop or scorecard look like?
Resources:
Book mentioned on the episode - Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
54min
January 03, 2022What’s the Real Problem
Having problems is a shared experience for everyone. It is common knowledge that no one is without problems, and that having problems directly affects productivity. This will be another insightful episode of Ten Productive Questions Podcast as Coach Christian Alan Vibar and David Angway delve deep into the mantra, "The first problem isn't the real problem."
What now is the real problem? How do you identify it? Dealing with a problem is actually a mindset issue and therefore requires an in depth analysis to provide a solution. More often than not, we are barking into the wrong tree, the wrong problem. There can also be a time that we need to acknowledge that a solution is not possible. Are you now getting intrigued by that last statement? Stay tuned for further insights on our topic today.
Highlights of the Episode
Introduction to the topic - Why is this the second of the ten productivity questions?

Unproductive mindset vs Productive mindset when it comes to solving problems.

An analogy of a tech support issue made complex but is really just a simple one.

Tips for people who are making things complicated.

How can people build solid structures to deal with the real problem at hand? (...What are the 3Ps to look at the problem from different vantage points?)

What are the ways to minimize the strategies we can implement to solve a problem?
(... There is also a set of 3Ps here.)
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
40min
January 03, 2022What Is Important Right Now
The Ten Productive Questions Podcast is the ultimate guide to your personal growth and productivity. Join me, Christian Alan Vibar founder of Project Productivity for an in-depth discussion on how you too can be more productive using your strengths! Joining me in this podcast is David Angway, a Registered Financial Planner and together we will bring you the culmination of our experiences in our coaching programs, AHA moments and new learnings that you can apply in your lives.
What a fitting way to start this podcast with this question - “What is Important Right Now?”, because all our aspirations start with what is important in our lives. Here we will not tell what SHOULD be important to you because what is important to you is yours alone. We will cover some grounds here on time management, which we prefer more to be called “attention management” rather, issues on procrastination and so much more that will make your listening more insightful, informative and pleasurable. Enjoy!
Highlights of the Episode
What is distracting us from doing what is truly important.

David’s realization after completing the 12-week coaching program

Understanding procrastination as an emotional regulation problem

Lessons on intentional strategy, timeboxing and the guilt feelings after binge-watching on Netflix

Insights of time management as a flawed concept

What did David do to manage attention instead of time?

The power of solitude and stoicism.
Resources:
Book mentioned in the conversation - The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Connect with Christian Alan Vibar:
Website
...more
53min

FAQs about Ten Productive Questions:

How many episodes does Ten Productive Questions have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.