If you want to get to ‘lagom’ with your brain, be sure to sign up for a free What Matters Most session. Just go to https://www.eliseenriquez.com/whatmattersmost/ to grab a spot on my calendar.
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My new favorite word is “lagom".

It's Swedish and it means “not too much, not too little, just the right amount.” I learned about ‘lagom’ on the new TV series "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning", which is based on Margareta Magnusson's book of the same name.

So what is death cleaning and what the hell does it have to do with productivity?

Swedish Death Cleaning is a practice of decluttering and organizing your stuff so that you don't burden your loved ones after you die. It's a kind thing to do for others AND for yourself, and it doesn't necessarily have to be done right before you die or even later in life. There are those who would argue it's never too early to let go of what no longer serves us. <<Ahem. I'm one of those people>>

I've always noticed some overlap between professional organizing and the productivity work I do, so I thought we could explore the parallels between Swedish death cleaning and productivity in this episode.

1. Start as early as possible so that you have time to go through everything carefully and make thoughtful decisions. The same goes for your productivity. It's never too early to make spend your time on what matters most.

2. Take stock of your possessions. This is what the bonus brain is all about - it holds everything that needs to be remembered so you be intentional about how you spend your time.

3. Decide what to keep. This could look like getting clear on what matters most in my definition of productivity.

4. Decide what to discard. What are you going to let go of so that you can spend your time on this planet with your people the way you want to?

5. Consider what to leave behind. What do you want your time here on earth to mean?

6. Organize your possessions. The same can be said for your goals, projects, and actions.

So tell me, where do you have "too much" right now? And what is one small thing you could do this week to get closer to lagom in that area? Be sure to head on over to TheProductivityShift on Instagram or Facebook for the emoji challenge. Use emojis to tell me what area of your life has too much and use emojis to express how you'll feel when you get to lagom in that area. Or use words if you prefer.

Resources:

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter, by Margareta Magnusson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gentle-Art-Swedish-Death-Cleaning/dp/1786891085

“Psychology: Your Attention, Please” based on a study by Princeton University Neuroscience professor Sabine Kastner https://paw.princeton.edu/article/psychology-your-attention-please

**This podcast is lovingly created by yours truly, Elise Enriquez, and produced by Rachael Sanya.

"Time is a created thing. Say you want it, believe it, and work for it, and it will be yours." ~ Emily Dickinson

My podcast usually attracts women in charge, the ones everyone tracks down to make shit happen. And you do make it happen; maybe even so amazingly well that you make it look effortless.

But on the inside, there can be frustration. Struggle. Overwhelm. A knowing that things could feel a little calmer than they feel now. A little, dare I say...easier.

Ultimately, when it comes down to it, it's all about time. How much time do you have and how do you use it? And let's face it – your time is largely spoken for. So it's not about creating more time. You only get 24 hours in a day...and hopefully, at least ⅓ of those are spent sleeping!

It's actually about reclaiming your time.

In this episode, I lay out 3 things you must do to take your time back.
1 - Find your compelling why.
2 - Develop a growth mindset.
3 - Put systems and habits in place that support you.

What is the next step you'll take out of those 3? Head on over to The Productivity Shift on Instagram or Facebook and share which one you're going to focus on in the Weekly Shift Post.

And if you picked "put systems and habits in place that support you", your next step is easy - go to daretoprioritize.com to sign up for my Dare to Prioritize challenge, a live 5-day challenge that I host to help people reclaim their time. We'll kick things off on May 22.

Resources:
"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by psychologist and Standford Psychology researcher, Dr. Carol Dweck - https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1683075056&sr=1-1

"Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by psychologist and University of Pennsylvania researcher, Dr. Angela Duckworth - https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/

**This podcast is lovingly created by yours truly, Elise Enriquez, and produced by Rachael Sanya.

"OMG, I feel so much lighter!" This is what Molly had to say after just 2 sessions in my productivity coaching community.

Wanna know what the big shift was? We moved her from keeping everything in her head to getting it all in one place so she could decide how to use her time.

My challenge for you in this episode is to get it all out of your head.

I find that many of my clients who focus more on their five senses hold a lot of information in their heads. Despite building external systems they trust, when they get stressed, they tend to think they can trust their own brains even more.

It all falls apart, though, when volume increases too fast AND/OR they take on something new, and this habit of holding stuff in their heads is a sure sign to me that they are feeling overwhelmed.

You see, constantly cycling through your projects, worries, busyness, problems, etc over and over again is usually masking one of 2 things:
:: A lack of priorities
:: A bigger problem you are trying to avoid

The key to breaking out of this cycle is to get things out of your head.

So if this sounds like you, and you want that shift that Molly experienced once she moved everything out of her head, walk with me through this episode and I will show you how.

And if, after all that, you’re ready to set up a system you can trust, then Dare to Prioritize might just be the thing you need. It’s a LIVE 5-day challenge where I guide you through the daily process of brain dumping, prioritizing, and planning action so you can take back your time.

Head on over to daretoprioritize.com to sign up.

**This podcast is lovingly created by yours truly, Elise Enriquez, and produced by Rachael Sanya.

If you want to deepen this week’s experiment, then sign up for the Dare to Prioritize Challenge, a week-long challenge that starts May 22nd. In this challenge, I help you take back your time so you can use it for what matters most.

Head on over to daretoprioritize.com to sign up
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"All the systems, apps and tools in the world don't matter if you don't have what matters most to you in them." ~ Elise

I love a to-do list! So much so that my wife bought me a t-shirt that says "Lists are my love language." Yep! It’s true.

I also love systems. I mean, I have a whole coaching program around building systems to support your productivity called GYST, which stands for Get Your Shit Together.

I have been a list and systems girl for a long time–I am deeply committed to them–and yet there was a time when what was on my list had everything on it except what mattered most to me. I've worked hard over the years to change this for myself, and now I'm dedicated to helping other people make this change too.

Now if you’re new here, it might be worth mentioning that the purpose of to-do lists in my world is not just to tick things off and get more stuff done. No. In my world, when we mention productivity, we are talking about making progress on what matters most to YOU. We are talking about not just getting stuff done that has to get done because you promised someone else, we are talking about looking inside yourself to say: who do I want to be in this world? What do I want to do? How do I want to spend my time on this planet?

In this episode, we use one of my clients’ experience as a case study to determine whether your to-do list is helping you or if it's holding you back, because let’s face it; all the systems, apps, and tools in the world don't matter if you don't have what matters most IN them.

Trust me, I have been a highly organized, get-it-done kind of person who was extremely lonely and unhappy in my old ways of productivity. If you can relate to my GYSTer or how I used to operate, it might be time for a productivity shift.

So, here's Your Weekly Shift...the little experiment you are going to run this week to shift your productivity:

To show that you are running this experiment, head on over to @theproductivityshift on Instagram or Facebook and put one of your favorite songs in the comments of the weekly shift post. Give me some music to inspire me and others!

**This podcast is lovingly created by yours truly, Elise Enriquez, and produced by Rachael Sanya.

If you're new to this podcast, you might not know that I love pop culture. One of my favorite pop culture treats is a good 30-minute situational comedy...or as the entertainment insiders call it...a sitcom. LOL

Did you ever watch 30 Rock? It ran from 2006 to 2013 on NBC and starred Tina Fey as Liz Lemon –one of my all-time favorite sitcom leads. Liz Lemon's love of her work is what I admire most about her. It's evident that she's passionate about what she does...to the point where she is committed to her career despite all the bullshit that she has to put up with.

I think it’s fair to say that one way you could describe Liz Lemon, especially at the beginning of the series, is “overcommitted.” She takes on too much and just takes things as they come. When everyone needs something, she's the one they turn to and she's so creative she can't help but try to do it all.

Does this sound like you at all?

Well, in this episode, I talk about what being overcommitted might look like, the risks it involves and what you can do to change things, all through the lens of Liz Lemon and her commitment or over-commitment issues.

It may not always feel like it, but, as Liz discovers, you actually have a choice and you get to decide what your life looks like. You may not be able to choose all of the stuff that comes your way, but you do get to choose how you react to all of it.

But where do you start?

Your Weekly Shift is to get real about what's going on in your world by signing up for my free and fun Dare to Prioritize challenge. Starting May 22nd I'll be going live with my Dare to Prioritize peeps every day for a week to support them in taking the first steps to get off the overcommitted bus and shift to taking back control of their time.

Head on over to daretoprioritize.com to join us!

References:
Leiter, M. P., Frank, E., & Matheson, T. J. (2009). Demands, values, and burnout: Relevance for physicians. Canadian Family Physician, 55(12), 1224-1225.

Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: A cross-national study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701-716.

**This podcast is lovingly created by yours truly, Elise Enriquez, and produced by Rachael Sanya.

If you are ready to prioritize what matters most to you and start taking action on that, I will have a live Dare to Prioritize challenge coming up in May. So be sure to head on over to daretoprioritize.com to join the waiting list so you are notified as soon as the doors open for registration.
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Did you ever play the game “Hot and Cold” growing up? You know, your friends would hide something and they would tell you if you were getting hotter or colder as you searched for it. Well, it turns out this game can be applied to productivity as well.

“By using the principles of hot and cold, you can hone your focus, increase your efficiency, and achieve your goals faster than ever before.” ~ Elise.

We’re hopping in the time machine in this episode for a little bit. I want you to go back with me and see little Elise in a game of hot and cold. Remember the way it was played - or at least in my family - whoever was "it" would leave the room while the other players hid a prized object somewhere in the room. When "it" returned, they would have to search for the object while the other players gave them clues by saying "hot" when they were close and "cold" when they were far away.

I was always a bit nervous playing this game because I hated getting things wrong, especially in front of an audience. I was the kid who dreaded P.E. class because we had to do things in front of each other, and I was always afraid of making a mistake. So you can imagine how I felt playing hot and cold. Every step I took was a potential mistake, and I didn't want to let my team down.

But deep down, I knew I wanted to find the object and win the game. So I had to take a risk and start moving. Sometimes I guessed the right direction, and other times I was wrong, but I learned from my mistakes and kept going. And when I finally found the object, it was such a rewarding feeling.

Now, as a coach, I see a lot of people who get stuck in analysis paralysis. They spend so much time thinking about their goals and all the different ways they could achieve them, but they don't take action. Just like in the game of hot and cold, you have to take a risk and start moving towards your goal. You might make mistakes along the way, but you'll learn from them and keep improving until you finally reach your prize.

Let’s start you along with a little experiment in The Weekly Shift with 2 steps:

Step 1 - Think of one thing you've been putting on the back burner that you care about, are passionate or excited about that you know would be good for you and that you want to pursue. Do you have it? Say it out loud right now...or at least say it in your head right now

Step 2 - Find a way to play hot and cold with this thing, goal, project or idea by taking just one tiny step every single day this week. See how it feels to take action on it.

Take action. Get feedback. Take your next action. Get feedback. Take your next action. So on and so forth.

If you are all in on trying the shift this week, head over to @theproductivityshift on Facebook or Instagram and comment in the weekly shift post with some sort of fun emoji.

**This podcast is lovingly created by yours truly, Elise Enriquez, and produced by Rachael Sanya.

Have you ever noticed how most productivity advice doesn’t work for women? That’s because you’re not a man who has a spouse at home who takes care of all the things. You’re juggling your business, your career, and your family. It’s a lot, and no wonder why things slip through the cracks despite your best intentions to get it all done. When you treat everything as an urgent priority, you lose all sense of what truly matters. This podcast is here to help you change all of that. One week at a time. Choose how to spend your time, so you make progress on what matters most to your life & business. Each week, Elise Enriquez, a productivity dork and certified life coach, guides you to redefine what productivity is to you. You’ll get strategies and insights you can implement right away. Lighten your load and focus on what’s most important so you can create a life and business that is meaningful to you.

Make every day your best day with my Dare to Prioritize challenge.
Head on over to daretoprioritize.com to sign up.
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“Show me your calendar and I'll tell you what you value.” ~ Anon

One thing about that quote is that it’s one of those bits of wisdom that can't be sourced. I've done enough research and from what I’ve seen, it's attributed in some form or another to a lot of different people.

The other thing is that it falls under the “annoying but true” category of personal growth wisdom. So buckle up for an annoying but true episode about what your calendar is trying to tell you.

Way back when I worked at Microsoft, my calendar was full of meetings, and I’ve got to admit – I kind of liked it, even though everybody else complained about all the meetings they had. I think it made me feel kind of important and proud that people wanted me in their meetings, and maybe some of that was FOMO.

But really, looking back at my patterns of behavior, a lot of it was me not deciding for myself what I wanted to create in my career or life. I just gave my time away to anyone who wanted or asked instead of thinking about how I actually wanted to use it, as if it was something as tangible as money.

It took me years, even after I left corporate America and had my own clients, but I finally realized how precious my time really is. I run a little observation experiment with my calendar (which I’m talking about in this episode) and the insights were nearly instantaneous. It completely transformed how I served my clients.

What do you think you'd observe by looking at how you really use your time?

Find out in Your Weekly Shift: Observe your time. At the end of each day this week, look at your calendar and reflect back on how you used your time...bonus points for printing it out and filling in stuff you worked on or did during the blank spaces in your calendar

Ask yourself: What was one thing missing from today that I wish I would have spent time on? Write that down!

**The Productivity Shift is lovingly created by me, Elise Enriquez, and produced by Rachael Sanya

Sometimes it's hard to make progress on what's most important to you when you feel like you spend your days drinking from a fire hose. Turn off that fire hose for a moment by signing up for a What Matters Most call with me.

 Head on over to https://eliseenriquez.com/whatmattersmost/ to apply for a spot.
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If you've been listening to this podcast for a while now, you know that I am big on words. I like to know what words mean and I like to use the "right" words to express what I am trying to say whenever possible.

It is through that lens that I looked at my business and realized that I wanted to make a change – a shift, actually. So, as of now, this podcast is now known as THE PRODUCTIVITY SHIFT...and in this episode, I tell you all about why that shift is happening.

I've come to realize that using the word “breakthrough” for my podcast may have been misleading.

Making a breakthrough and making a shift are two related but distinct ideas.

While breakthroughs and shifts can both lead to positive change and progress, they differ in their nature and the way they come about:

It's important to point out that both making a breakthrough and making a shift requires a willingness to experiment, learn, and adapt. That happens to be what I'm good at; helping you learn, experiment and adapt to help you make progress on what matters most while still being present enough to enjoy your life, your work, and your people.

And with The Productivity Shift, I can help you run little experiments that create big impacts. One episode at a time.

Let’s start right now with The Weekly Shift: What is the biggest productivity problem you are facing right now? Pick ONE small action you could take every day to improve.

And if you feel stuck, head on over to TheProductivityShift on Facebook and I'll get you what you need to run your productivity experiment.

If you need help with making a daily plan, my 5-day Dare to Prioritize challenge might be just what you need. Head on over to daretoprioritize.com

Link to the study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology:  https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2022-08530-002.html 
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“Studies show that we would benefit more from spending a little more time planning our work and actually doing the intentional work.” ~ Elise

Does it feel like you are constantly being interrupted?

You are not crazy...it's true. You are constantly being interrupted AND these interruptions DON'T have to ruin your productivity.

I had a hunch that women get interrupted more than men, and I already knew that studies show that women get interrupted in meetings and in conversations more than men do. According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, there is a gender divide when it comes to work interruptions.

These aren't the kind of interruptions I'm talking about in this episode, though. In my GYST productivity program, I talk about 3 kinds of work;
1 - Planning your work: which means assessing everything that's on your plate, getting things out of your head, looking at the projects in front of you, looking at the time you have, and then deciding what you want to make progress on: 
2 - Doing Intentional work: executing the plan that you made.
3 - Doing unintentional work: doing work as it shows up. In other words, engaging with interruptions.

Now, doing unintentional work or engaging with interruptions isn't inherently bad, so in this episode, I share some ideas about how to better manage all these interruptions that are coming your way.

You’ll learn;

So tell me your response to this question of the week…What is ONE strategy you could put in place this week to better manage interruptions? 

Hop on over to Instagram and tell me all about it. You can DM me or find the question of the week post