[PODCAST 319]: 4 Productivity Boosts that Happened Inside My Head

Quick Note: You can click “play” above for the podcast version, skim the written version below, or watch the video version on YouTube by clicking here!

Sometimes “productivity” is about learning to skills around time blocking, filing, creating lists, and organizing projects, but sometimes it’s about what’s happening inside our brains. I’ve made some changes lately that have made a BIG impact on my mood, energy, and productivity, and I’m excited to share some of the details with you here today!

I Do a Morning Mind Sweep of Emotions

Book, The MindBody Prescription
I learned that if I ignore strong emotions, they pile up.
Now I just make a list on a sheet of paper that I throw away: “What’s worrying me? What bothered me in the past 24 hours? Where do I feel uneasy or nervous?” Then I personally choose to spend time with God and ask what I can control or influence, what I should keep in my prayers, what I could let go, etc. It’s been amazing to see the kinds of ideas that come out of these brief morning mind sweeps.

I Prioritize JOY

This was surprising to me because I consider myself to be a happy person, but somehow, over the years, I have focused more on doing all the things that need to be done rather than creating experiences that I personally felt super excited about. Even things like vacations were often “tasks and projects” in my mind. I rarely chose the locations–or if I did, I focused on taking care of the people who were going with me on the vacation. I didn’t even think of myself as a people pleaser for many years, yet my subconscious goal was primarily to make other people happy. Yes, I felt a lot of joy in seeing other people happy, but the consistent focus on selflessness didn’t leave room for much that I actually looked forward to.
I didn’t realize how out of practice I was at creating joy until I got really sick with post-viral fatigue syndrome, and I was mostly in bed for a few months. Listening to Raelan Agle on YouTube was a game-changer for me, and in one of the first videos of hers that I watched, she interviewed someone who had also healed from a post-viral fatigue, and the key had been focusing less on the symptoms and the fear of being sick and more on creating joy. I thought, “There’s no way it could be that easy.”
That night, however, I decided to do something purely for the JOY of it–not because it would “help someone else.” The effort was like swimming upstream, but I decided I wanted to go bowling. We have a bowling alley about a mile from our house (that I’ve visited maybe twice in 10 years), and even though I had limited energy, I figured I could do one round. Eric was up for a bowling date, and even though I scored maybe 70 points, I had so much fun. They had great music playing, I got two strikes, I was laughing at my terrible gutter balls, and life felt light and happy.
I don’t know exactly how I wired myself to think that feeling joyful isn’t compatible with being responsible, socially conscious, empathetic, etc., but now I’m trying to incorporate at least one joyful thing into each day, and I’m finding that my energy and capacity to serve others has only gotten stronger.

I Notice and Adjust Personality Characteristics that Lead to Exhaustion.

OLD Personality Characteristics:

I let other people and their priorities for me dictate how much time I could spend on non-deadline-driven things that matter to me. I have such a strong sense of duty and I’m really responsible, and I care about people, so when it came to carving out time for things that weren’t “required,” I felt like I had very little power.
(The Reverse of #1) I wanted other people’s priorities for themselves to be the same as my priorities for them. That often left me critical, judgmental, and resentful.
I stepped in to “make things better” for people–even when it was going to hurt my health. If someone else’s priorities were not the same as what I thought they should be, I would step in to “improve things for them.” This caused SO much extra pressure on me, but I felt it was for a good purpose because I was “helping people thrive.”
When I did “all the work” on something that someone else didn’t prioritize–even though I thought they should–I would feel sad that they couldn’t be trusted and convince myself that I had to be the martyr because “I care the most about being responsible.”
That was an EXHAUSTING way to live!

NEW Personality Adjustments:

What I do with my time and energy is between me and my Higher Power. I don’t look to others to tell me what I have to do, what pace I have to set, or what boundaries exist around my stewardships.
I respect other people’s choices, and if our goals align, we can work on things together. If our goals don’t align, I clearly communicate with them so we can figure out the best way to move forward.
I prioritize my health above “making things better” for others. I move at a doable pace, engaged in good causes, but I don’t overextend or take responsibility for others’ joy.
I work on things that I want to work on, and I prioritize self-care over martyrdom. If I feel impressed to do so, I will temporarily sacrifice my needs to care for others, but I will then build in time to replenish.

I Acknowledge that Becomers Keep Learning

Sometimes it’s embarrassing to admit these kinds of things because we think, “Ahh, I should have known better!”
But here at LearnDoBecome, we recognize that there’s a difference in being an Achiever and being a Becomer. (See this chart!)
I was also looking back at 7 “rules” I used to follow that were causing stress in my life, and I realized that, while I’m still working on breaking some of those habits, for the most part, I’ve grown past them.
I’m sure you notice the same thing in your life. When you actually sit and think back a few years–or even a few weeks–you see areas where you’ve become more patient, more courageous, more empathetic, etc.
Growth gives us a chance to celebrate. There’s no shame. And there is so much relief when we finally recognize how limited the benefits of perfectionism truly are.

Community Highlights!

2025.12 Cindy – Processed 42 boxes and reclaimed living space

2025.12 Cindy – Pool table in living room before rehoming

2025.12 Cindy – Living room space after removing pool table

Karie wrote, “My office and creative space is finally clear and organized!! My Command Central is on the left side of my desk (my working side) and I have more bins and storage than I need but I’m trying different methods to see what sticks. haha It took me a little longer than I hoped but boy does it feel good! There is still some Level 4 work to do on the cabinet but I have clear, organized space to be productive and focused. 🎉 Before and after pics show the difference.”

Karen wrote, “Ok. This is my progression celebration! The first is my Before from Aug 2023. The second is my After from Aug 2023 of clearing out the space to get it ready for my Command Center. Well, now, in July 2024 (after another clean out) I finally have my Command Central!! Woohoo!!🎉 I am so excited to put this to work and let my brain rest! Celebrate good times! 😁🎊”

Community Highlights!

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