Podcast Title: The Struggle is NOT Real.

Tagline: What if your biggest obstacles are just a figment of your imagination?.

Episode 2 Title: Busy is NOT Productive.

Hosts:

• Michael Lennington - co-author of The 12 Week Year
• Kristin Tabbert - World Class Execution & Performance Coach
• Mike Gandolfo - Speaker & Award Winning Entrepreneur

Podcast Overview: This podcast aims to deconstruct popular myths and limiting beliefs that hold entrepreneurs back, replacing them with more empowering perspectives and practical strategies.

Episode Structure:

• Historical Perspective: Explores the origins and cultural context of the belief that "being busy equates to productivity".
• Challenge: Explains why the belief is flawed or counterproductive.
• Practical Application: Provides actionable strategies to adopt a more effective mindset and approach.
• Conclusion: Focus on outcomes, not outputs.
• Call to Action: Strip things away; figure out what to defer, delegate, delete, and automate.
• Live Q&A: Audience questions addressed in real-time.

Key Concepts and Discussion Points:

• The Protestant Work Ethic: The hosts discuss the historical roots of the idea that busyness equals virtue, tracing it back to the Protestant Reformation and the concept of hard work as a moral duty.
• Intentional Imbalance: The idea that balance doesn't mean 50/50, but rather focusing on specific areas that need attention at different times. It's about being intentionally out of balance to align with what's most important now. Saying "no" becomes important to making "yes" mean something.
• Prioritization: The ability to rank activities is critical because you can't get everything done. Prioritize important tasks over urgent ones.
• Goal Setting: Deconstruct expectations and identify the right goals for right now. Frame goals in a way that resonates, so you'll do the hard things even when you don't feel like it.
• Tactics: To determine key tactics, ask "what if I did," brainstorm all ideas, and then use a litmus test to identify the highest impact actions. Aim for around five to seven tactics to avoid creating another to-do list.
• Focus and Intention: Productive people are often very focused and intentional, not necessarily busy. They prioritize effectively and protect themselves from unnecessary tasks.
• Vision: Without a clear vision, it's hard to say "no" to distractions. Saying "no" is essential for achieving your dreams.
• Handling Urgent Tasks: Automate manual processes, eliminate redundant systems, and focus on the most important tasks. Use buffer blocks in your schedule to handle to-dos. Apply the "do it, delegate it, defer it, or delete it" approach.
• Time Management Systems: All systems have flaws and benefits, but aim for something that effectively handles 60-70% of tasks. Be willing to experiment and see what you can stop doing without negative consequences.
• Measuring Productivity: Measure productivity by the percentage of planned tactics completed. Aim for consistent execution rather than perfection. Focus on outcomes, not just outputs.

Featured Book:

• Getting Things Done by David Allen

Livestream: Every Friday at 1:00 pm EST on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@morewithmike/streams

Platforms: Recording available on major podcast platforms.

Next Episode: Perfection is Not Progress.