ProdPod, a Productivity Podcast

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ProdPod: Episode Two -- General Theory of Productivity by Charlie Gilkey Jun 24, 2011

Show notes

In our second episode, Ray gives us a brief introduction, with a list of resources posted below for further reference, to ProductiveFlourishing.com blogger-entrepreneur Charlie Gilkey's Theory of Productivity. You can find his original post discussing the General Theory of Productivity at Productive Flourishing.

WELCOME TO OUR SECOND EPISODE OF PRODPOD, THE PODCAST OF PRODUCTIVITY TIPS IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS. I'M RAY SIDNEY-SMITH AND I'M YOUR PRODUCTIVITY GUIDE, THE CURRENT ORGANIZER OF GETTING THINGS DONE DC MEETUP & THE FOUNDING ORGANIZER OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED GETTING THINGS DONE NYC MEETUP, YOU CAN FIND ME TWEETING ON TWITTER AT G T D D C AND AT G T D N Y C USING THE HASHTAG PRODPOD.
THIS EPISODE'S TIP: CHARLIE GILKEY'S GENERAL THEORY OF PRODUCTIVITY. CHARLIE GILKEY IS THE BLOGGER-ENTREPRENEUR BEHIND PRODUCTIVE FLOURISHING DOT COM. I RECOMMEND PERUSING HIS BLOG FOR THE MOST POPULAR POSTS AND READING THEM THROUGH...GOOD STUFF. HE HAS DEVELOPED TWO THEORIES AND I'M GOING TO COVER THE FIRST ONE HERE AND THE NEXT ONE IN THE NEXT EPISODE. THE GENERAL THEORY OF PRODUCTIVITY ACCORDING TO GILKEY IS THAT PRODUCTIVITY EQUALS CREATIVE ENERGY PLUS FOCUS PLUS MOTIVATION PLUS APTITUDE PLUS IDEAL TIME *OVER* DIFFICULTY AND DISTRACTIONS.
HE DEFINES PRODUCTIVITY AS EFFECTIVENESS OF REACHING MEANINGFUL GOALS, NOT MERELY TIME-BASED EFFICIENCY. HE GOES OVER IN DETAIL HIS DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH OF THE NUMERATORS (CREATIVE ENERGY, FOCUS, MOTIVATION, APTITUDE, AND IDEAL TIME, WHICH ARE WHAT HE CALLS PRODUCTIVITY ENABLERS AND MAKES COMMENTARY THAT THESE ARE ALL SELF-IDENTIFIED AND SELF-INFLUENCING FACTORS OF BEING PRODUCTIVE). PRODUCTIVITY ENABLERS ALSO INCREASE OR DECREASE IN AMOUNTS BASED ON AN INTERDEPENDENT SYSTEM.
WHILE THE DENOMINATORS (DIFFICULTY AND DISTRACTIONS) REDUCE PRODUCTIVITY, ARE USUALLY EXTERNAL FORCES AND ARE ALSO INTERCONNECTED. EVEN THOUGH PERSONALLY I SOMEWHAT DISAGREE WITH HIS ASSERTIONS, THE GENERAL THEORY OF PRODUCTIVITY MOVES ONE AWAY FROM A MICROSCOPIC VIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY ("HACKS" AS HE CALLS THEM) TO A GREATER PERSPECTIVE AND CONTEXT. BY PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE COMPONENTS THAT CHARLIE GILKEY PROVIDES, WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY TRENDS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE HABITS AND MAKE CORRECTIONS TO THESE HABITS TO ACHIEVE MORE OF OUR MEANINGFUL LIFE GOALS.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE OF PRODPOD. THIS IS RAY SIDNEY-SMITH AND THANKS FOR LISTENING! HERE'S TO YOUR PRODUCTIVITY SUCCESS...IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS.

ProdPod: Episode One -- Priorities Jun 23, 2011

Show notes

Introducing ProdPod, the podcast of productivity lessons in two minutes or less! For an example of the referenced graph, see: http://goo.gl/niUIs

I'M RAY SIDNEY-SMITH AND I'LL BE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY GUIDE. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF. I AM CURRENTLY THE ORGANIZER OF GETTING THINGS DONE DC MEETUP & THE FOUNDING ORGANIZER OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED GETTING THINGS DONE NYC MEETUP. YOU CAN FIND ME TWEETING ON TWITTER AT G T D D C AND AT G T D N Y C. ANYTHING PERTAINING TO PRODPOD WILL BE HASHTAGGED AS PRODPOD.

AND, SO, ON TO THE MISSION OF PRODPOD, THE PODCAST OF PRODUCTIVITY TIPS IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS. PRODPOD WAS INSPIRED BY TWO EMAIL NEWSLETTERS BOTH OF WHICH OFFERED TIDBITS OF INFORMATION ON MAKING EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE DECISIONS IN YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES. I THOUGHT, WHY ISN'T THERE ALREADY A PODCAST LIKE THIS? SINCE I'M A GETTING THINGS DONE (A/K/A GTD) ENTHUSIAST, I THOUGHT...WHY NOT USE THE TWO-MINUTE RULE TO GIVE QUICK AND SUBSTANTIVE IDEAS AND INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN EFFICIENTLY, EFFECTIVELY USE TO BUILD A MORE FULFILLED AND ENRICHED LIFE. AND, SO...PRODPOD WAS BORN.
THIS EPISODE'S TIP: TIME IS FINITE. NOTWITHSTANDING PHYSICISTS' ARGUMENTS OVER THE VERACITY OF THE SPACE TIME CONTINUUM AND THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL THROUGH TIME. AS OF THIS RECORDING, YOU CANNOT MAKE MORE TIME. THE ONLY TOOLS YOU HAVE FOR MANAGING YOUR TIME ARE PRIORITIZING, PLANNING AHEAD AND STRIVING FOR BEING MORE PROACTIVE AND ACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE AND INACTIVE. I LIKE TO ACTUALLY DRAW ON MY NOTEPAD OR CALENDAR WHEN PLANNING MY WEEK AN X-Y AXIS. THE X AXIS RUNNING FROM PROACTIVE TO REACTIVE AND THE Y AXIS AS ACTIVE TO INACTIVE; THEN PLACING EACH MAJOR PROJECT ON THE GRAPH (REPRESENTED BY ROMAN NUMERALS, NUMBERS OR LETTERS) TO DECIDE ON WHAT ARE MY TRUE PRIORITIES. TAKE TODAY AND THINK ABOUT ONE THING YOU CAN DO AT THE PRESENT MOMENT THAT WILL PREEMPT MORE WORK ON YOURS OR SOMEONE ELSE'S PART IN THE NEAR AND LONG TERM FUTURE.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY PRODPOD AND I WELCOME THOUGHTS AND FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE PRODPODS VIA EMAIL AT RAY AT G T D USERS DOT O R G OR VIA TWITTER WITH THE HASHTAG PRODPOD. HERE'S TO YOUR PRODUCTIVITY SUCCESS...IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS. THIS IS RAY SIDNEY-SMITH FOR PRODPOD. THANKS FOR LISTENING!