139: How Limits Make You More Productive - a podcast by Jason W. Womack MEd, MA

As you listen to this episode of the Your Best Just Got Better podcast, I hope you will take time and really consider all the different aspects of how limitations may actually help you be more productive. At the beginning of the podcast you will hear me talking about a very influential book in my bookcase, it is called Tuesdays with Morrie. And it is an amazing example of how by having known limitations it was actually possible for the author, Mitch album, to have an income relatively rich connected experience.

Now, I’m not going to go into detail in this blog post about that book, however, it may be worth it for you after you listen to the podcast to consider picking up at least an online version of that book.

In this podcast, you'll learn how to use limitations to get ahead. For a few moments, consider the kinds of things you KNOW you have in limited supply: Resources, Money, Time

Just over a week ago, I posted a Discussion Prompt for the global community of GET MOMENTUM (http://GetMomentum.co/get-momentum) members to consider. For several days we discussed this topic of limitations and productivity.

As your coach, I’d like for you to consider the impact - both positive AND negative of these kinds of guidelines/groundrules/limitations.

Now, the results of the poll I posted on our discussion forum indicate that people are split…about 50/50. Almost half all members say that constraints can actually limit productivity, while others say that these very limits - some call them guidelines or boundaries - create the conditions for freedom and creativity.

Now, I want to share with you what I do to make it work to my advantage. I’ll do this by giving you an example, and then detailing exactly what I do to make it work for me:

1. Since my wife and I work together - we’ve run the Womack Companies for more than 7 years - we only get a few blocks of time together each day to really be with each other. There are days, in fact where from morning till night we’re both super-engaged in what we’re doing; it’s up to each one of us to make time to connect on the being level each day. So, we do this thing where when one of us returns (she from running errands in town, me from going out for a run, or some such thing), the one who has been home walks outside to celebrate the return! So, I’ll hear Jodi’s car pull in to the driveway, and that’s my cue: Zuma (our black lab) and I walk outside and welcome Jodi home.

2. Articles, podcasts, interviews…each one has a deadline, a time when it’s due or else! So, once I find out when a client would like something, I write it on my calendar to be due 24 hours EARLY. I don’t do this so I can let the reminder float those 24 hours; no, I actually turn whatever it was that was due in early; with a note. I ask, “Will you please look this over/read this/watch this/listen to this, and let me know first thing tomorrow if there is Anything I can add to make it better for you. Wanna know something? It’s about 5 times out of 10 that they DO get back to me with some positive feedback. I edit/add to it, and voila, it gets better!

If you are facing some limitations today or this week, here are the steps I recommend you take:
1. Acknowledge the limitation.
2. Ask yourself, “How can I be as or more productive even though I’m limited?”
3. Break the “thing” (the project, the task, the issue) in to a 15 minute activity.
4. Actually set a timer, and work on THAT thing for just 15 minutes. (Email me and I’ll send you my favorite countdown timer.)
5. At the end of the day, look back and acknowledge exactly where you DID make progress. I promise you’ll have SOMETHING come to mind...

I mentioned that this was a discussion we had over about a week in the GET MOMENTUM (http://GetMomentum.co/get-momentum) global discussion forum. If you have anything you’d like to talk about when it comes to this topic of constants, productivity, time management and professional performance, let me know…I’d love to chat by phone or email!

Further episodes of Your Best Just Got Better

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