Natalie
- 2 min read

Episode 39: The Best Tips For Productivity (Part 1) with Natalie Tysdal

Brief summary of show:

Do you agree that reflection can help lead us to success? This week’s podcast is a special episode where you’ll hear tips on productivity from some of my incredible 2021 guests.

Learning from successful people is important to me, and I know it is for many of you as well. I started the year by asking my guests their favorite tool or tip for productivity.

In this episode, we hear from top doctors, leaders of companies, and best-selling authors.

Those of you who have listened in from the beginning will know that I left a successful career as an Emmy-winning journalist to pursue my passions on my own. It was a wild schedule -- my days turned into nights, and my nights were sleepless. I felt like I was on a never-ending hamster wheel.

I found myself starting each day with a sense of sadness, and I knew I needed to make a change. Now, I’m helping women find their passion and purpose, through meaningful conversations and expert tips, like you’ll hear in this episode.

Listen in as we talk about:

My best tool for productivity
Dr. Sheryl Zeigler on prioritizing yourself
Rachel Greenwald on saying “no”
Dr. Snyder on quality time with family
Samantha Ettus on that good old fashioned notebook
Julie Lythcott-Haims on maximizing your Google calendar
Amy McCready on task management tools
Dave Henry on getting in ‘flow’

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Resources mentioned in the episode:

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Podcast Highlights:

[00:02:32] Dr. Zeigler

[00:04:37] Rachel Greenwald

[00:07:16] Dr. Snyder

[00:08:38] Samantha Ettus

[00:09:55] Julie Lythcott-Haims

[00:11:23] Amy McCready

[00:13:45] Dave Henry

Full transcript of episode:

Click Arrow To See Transcript For Episode 39

Episode 39 Full Transcript:

[00:00:00] Natalie: I have a special tradition that I started on the podcast and it's been so popular. Hi everyone. I'm so glad that you're here at the end of 2021. [00:00:08] You know, I learned from successful, inspiring people, and I know that many of you do too, based on what you've told me about. I started this year by asking everyone their favorite tool or tip for productivity and their answers are worth taking. Note of these are experts, top authors, doctors, industry leaders, my wonderful podcast, producer, Simona, and I have put together a compilation of their answers about productivity. [00:00:35] And those of you who've listened since I started the podcast in early 20, 21. No, that I left. A wild career as a TV anchor. In fact, that was my job for 28 years. My days turned into nights, my nights, they were sleepless. I called it the hamster wheel, where I got up to do a four and a half hour morning show it when it was dark early, early, early two 30 in the morning. [00:00:57] I wrote stories for the late news after the show was over. And then I turned into Superman. Or at least that's what I told myself, but I found myself starting each day with a sense of sadness. And I ran that hamster wheel over and over again. And we know how important it is to be productive. [00:01:14] Right. It's important. And we want more time out of our day, but it's not a replacement for health and wellness and happiness and time with your family. In fact, my tip for all of you for productivity is to take time for yourself when you're feeling healthy, you're going to be more productive. [00:01:36] That's my tip. As you set your goals, think through the things that really give you joy. And I promise doing more of those things will make you more productive. If you want more tips like this from me, you sure. To subscribe to my newsletter, which you can do by using the link in the episode, show notes. I send a note out each week, that's packed with tips to help you in the parenting mindset and health department. [00:01:59] Okay. So on with the clips from my experts this year, we're going to start with my friend, Dr. Cheryl Ziegler from the very first episode of the podcast. I have interviewed Dr. Z so many times through the years, but those interviews, they used to be very short on morning TV. Our conversation on the podcast was refreshing and it was her tip on productivity that really got me thinking. [00:02:24] And when I started this tradition. So listen in while she talks about loving yourself and doing things just for you. [00:02:32] Dr. Zeigler: So I have two that just come to mind. The first one is my Peloton and I say that because not necessarily that it's the workout part. It's the fact that I stopped. And I could be doing other things, but I say, I am worth this time. I put on my favorite, you know, instructor. I usually do it 20, usually 20 minutes, sometimes 2030. [00:02:58] I'd never go past 30. And what it is for me is it's a mental health break. It is just like, boom, it's the middle of the day. Things feel like a lot, or I've got an hour till I have to go get. I'm just going to have mental health breaks. So really, truly some sort of, you can do whatever you want, quiet time, meditation, mental health break, that walk, but just that, that 20 or 30 minutes every day, sometime I do it in the middle of the day. [00:03:24] It's not, it's not the same time every day, but it's sometime, usually between 11 and one. I just take 20 to 30 minutes for my. That's huge for me. And the second thing that's recent for me that I've been loving that I want to share with other people is I still, it's funny. It's like I'm in transition. So I'm doing kind of both. [00:03:42] I'm not going to say I'm perfect with this, but I heard somebody speak and say no longer make to-do lists. Don't don't make. Put whatever you're supposed to do, write it right into your schedule. And I'm like, Ooh, this is a great idea. Right? So I kind of in transition, so I'm doing both, I'll have a to-do list, but then I take my to-do lists and I plug it into my week. [00:04:03] Wow. Five, I'm going to run to the post office on Monday at two, I'm going to go food, shopping, whatever it is. And all of a sudden I'm like, this is so awesome. This is great. It feels like I'm way more in control of my schedule, because if it's on that to-do list, it means it has to be done. And then I just find a time to do it. [00:04:21] Natalie: Next a New York times bestselling author, Rachel Greenwald. She's a relationship expert and Rachel is so fun to talk to. I feel better about myself. Every time I talked to her and her tip is something that you might not expect. [00:04:37] Rachel Greenwald: Okay, well, I'm going to say something that I don't know if it's considered a tool, but I consider it a tool. It's a two letter tool and the letters R and O saying no is the best productivity tool that has served me. Well, I think that we are. So inclined, especially as women to say yes to things and then end up regretting it and your productivity goes down because you're simply over committed. [00:05:09] So, you know, let's start with the most basic and simple thing you can do. It's free. And it is so liberating to say no to the things that you don't love. And. Even if you think that you might love something, but you're, over-scheduled saying no. And letting go to something gives you back your sanity. So that's what I would say. [00:05:34] Natalie: Best advice. I love that so much. I can't tell you I'm guilty of that feeling like I need to say yes, but learning to say no. [00:05:42] That was Rachel Greenwald and episode number eight from the podcast to saying no is one of those really hard things for people, but I've started to take this into account and I hope that you will too, before maybe you agree to that lunch or call or a meeting and think about what you could say. Would actually be okay. [00:06:04] And would give you the time that you need. Maybe it's just a phrase, like I can't take the time for that right now, but let's talk again in the future. Next episode, number two and Dr. Michael Snyder. Every time. I talked to Dr. Snyder and I've known him for years as well. I come away with so many ideas and I feel motivated. [00:06:23] He is a weight loss doctor, but he's about so much more than that. He has a relationship with his patients that really is unmatched. one of the stories that I remember from him was Dr. Snyder telling me about. Uh, male patient that lost hundreds of pounds and he was taking kinds of steps to improve himself, especially after he lost that way, because he had lost so much of his self-esteem and he called Dr. [00:06:50] Snyder and said, you know, I'm trying to just improve myself image and I want to go get a pedicure. So being the kind man that Dr. Snyder is. He said, I'll go get a pedicure with you. And that's just who he is. So Dr. Snyder and his patient went to get pedicures and He doesn't care what people think. [00:07:08] He just cares about people. And his tip for productivity is motivated by his personal life. Here it is. [00:07:16] Dr. Snyder: Well, it's interesting. You asked me that because I've everything in life you can screw up. I've kind of screwed up on some levels. So this is the voice of experience at the end of the day, the things that I thought needed to be more productive, actually didn't matter if I made a little bit more money, it didn't matter that much. [00:07:29] I was finding what I didn't make much, and if I had more stuff, it didn't make me have. I was a little more accountable work. It didn't make me happy. What really mattered was when I kept my home team happier for me personally, you know, if I come home, I drive home and I think like, how can I make my wife happy? [00:07:44] And I like, what could I do? That would be super nice to her that she'd say, well, that's great. Like that thought process. And I know you listening to this thinking, like, would that be fun to do that? Like I try and do it all the time. You know, having failed marriage before and done all that stuff. Like I'm kind of wired that I just want to be better. [00:07:59] And the things I care about being better as being a better dad and being a better. Husband and trying to be nicer to people in life patients. And I don't joke about people anymore. Like I'm just because I think I'm trying to become a better guy after 57 years. I think I learned a couple of lessons. [00:08:14] Natalie: Next another very successful author. And now the head of a very successful company that helps moms get back into the workforce. Her name is Samantha EDIS. She's a successful author, also a mom of three, and we know how hard it is to manage all of that. Trying to stay on top of work and be a mom. [00:08:33] So Samantha gives us her top tip for staying organized, trying to do it all. [00:08:38] Samantha Ettus: I'm going to hold up my notebook. I'm like a big pen paper girl as is, as is as much as I run a FinTech company. I actually, I'm a big believer in making my to-do list the night before. In fact, last night I didn't do it. And I woke up with a blank to do list and it's like scaring me because I'm so much more productive in