Able Business Radio: Productivity | Small Business | Evernote | Trello

This week, Zack goes solo to help you with tackle email overwhelm to effectively respond to the people you need to respond to. In this episode we cover: How to control the flow of emails Strategies to reduce the flow of emails Why you should stop checking your email (and what to do instead) Is this email actionable? NO A date that needs to go on your calendar? Put it on your calendar. Interesting information? Archive it and use search to find in the future. Irrelevant information? Delete it. Reference material you need to save? Download it straight into your organized reference system.* YES Will it take less than five minutes to take action? Do it now! Do you need to respond? Do it now!  Will it take more than 5 minutes? Defer it Say No Delegate Visual Email Workflow: Quotables: "Processing email is a way of making decisions on the front end with every email that comes in as soon as you open it." Links and resources mention: Ho

For the past 30 years Meredith Bell has helped people become better leaders by showing them how to be more effective communicators. In this episode we cover: The five questions you can ask to: foster independence of team and family members develop deeper relationships analyze and move on from negative situations reflect and learn from experiences Specific strategies for being a deeper listener. How to let go of the past so you can focus on your goals. Quotables: "The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has actually taken place." - George Bernard Shaw "A good leader has to learn how to ask questions and to listen in order to help the person come up with their own solutions." "Trying to re-do the past is a fruitless exercise." "One of the greatest needs of every human being is to feel understood. Being willing to give your full attention to another person is one of the most powerful gifts that you can give them." Links and resources mention: Meredith's Life

You want to take your paper and turn it into electronic documents. You also want to be able to find those electronic documents when you need them. And it would be nice if those electronic documents are backed up and secure. How do you do that? In this jam-packed episode, paperless expert Brooks Duncan shows us the three-part system needed to get your paperless system going. Brooks also shares the software and hardware you will need to find success with your paperless goals. In this episode we cover: Reasons why you may want to reduce the amount of paper in your life. How to choose a scanner that fits your needs. How to start going paperless. (hint: avoid scanning boxes of old paper first) Best way to organize your digital documents once they are scanned. Costs and benefits of batch scanning. Why you should name files and documents for 'future you.' What you need to do to protect your digital life. Quotables: When going paperless, my goal was to get rid of the paper I didn't need. Now my goal

Micheal E Gerber is the author of the mega-bestseller “The E-Myth Revisited” and 28 other business coaching books. Michael has been teaching small business owners how to be more effective for the past 40 years. This interview is no exception. In this episode we cover: How small businesses are failing the same way they failed in 1977. What 4 parts are needed for an entrepreneur mindset. The first system every entrepreneur needs to create. How to turn a: job into a practice practice into a business business into an enterprise Quotables: People are as resistant to order and organization today as they were in 1977.Click To Tweet We don't create anything by living in hope. We create something by living intentionally.Click To Tweet Most people only do one or two things well. And they do everything else badly.Click To Tweet Links and Resources Mentioned: The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It Beyond the E Myth The Evolution of an Enterprise: Fr

Michael Motta is a professor of political science that studies path dependency. Path dependency is a way of stepping back and looking at how the choices you make today will play out in the long run. In this episode we cover: What decisions restrict future options. How to find balance between 'too loose' and 'too tight' in your personal productivity system. How to stack goals for synergy. When to check in with yourself to avoid drift on your goals. Quotables: If you are not working toward your own goals, you are working to someone else's.Click To Tweet Links and resources mention: Getting Things Done by David Allen 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Stacey Harmon's Evernote Course The One Thing The book Zack's interview w/ Jay Papasan Essentialism The Book on Disciplined Pursuit of Less Zack's interview w/ Greg McKeown Deep Work by Cal Newport Better Than Before by Gretchen Ruben The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art

Greg Scown is the co-founder of Smile Software. Smile specializes in making productivity tools that save time and make your digital life easier. Greg came on Able Business Radio to talk about Smile's popular writing automation tool TextExpander. TextExpander is one of my favorite applications. The software has transformed how accurately and fast I am able to communicate in writing. It does this by allowing me to save common: phrases symbols links images email responses file naming conventions and more into a knowledge base. I then pull on that knowledge base by typing in keyboard shortcuts (that I create). In this episode, you'll learn: What TextExpander is and how to get started. What type of programs TextExpander works in. (hint: everywhere) How to take advantage of thinking you've already done. How to iterate and create amazing, repeatable customer support responses. The difference between the standalone app and the subscription service. How to keep your TextExpander snippets u

Matt Cowdroy is in the happiness business. He uses productivity and mindfulness as tools to help people manage their attention at work so they can be more present, accomplish more, and stress less.

People love Evernote for its ability to store reference files like recipes and notes. But sometimes Evernote can turn into a black hole of "stuff." Luckily, Stacey Harmon is here to show us how to get our settings right so you can organize and quickly access your entire Evernote archive in seconds. In this episode we cover: How to use Evernote to digitize and centralize your information. How to email notes to Evernote. Why getting the right settings makes it less stressful to get all of your information in order. Links and Resources mention: Scannable App Text Expander Skitch Download Evernote Desktop App Zack's Twitter & Stacey's Twitter Naming Conventions w/ Evernote Article Keyboard shortcuts ⌘ + J to jump to new notebook Control + ⌘ + M to move notebooks Screenshots Changing sync settings: Changing the sidebar options: Connect with Stacey: Stacey's Twitter Stacey's Website Radical Productivity - Complete course on how to maximize Evernote as a productivity tool. ( J

In this episode you'll learn: How to overcome afternoon brain fog. Why movement is necessary for creativity. Simple ways to add movement into the day. What are telomeres and why you don't want short ones. How staying in the “zone” too long will cause burn out. When making your office less efficient is a good thing. Zack's Quotables: "I was treating my body like a Ford Pinto. Now I treat it like a Ferrari." "8 hours is a half day in my industry. I needed quick ways to get fitness in." "Look at your health as a game of chess." Links and resources mention: GO FAR: Goals, Obstacles, Focus, Act, Review  P90x Break time tracker app Life skills that matter Zack Sexton's favorite FIP podcasts episodes: David Allen https://fitnessinpost.com/101/ Greg McKeown https://fitnessinpost.com/81/ Mark Sissons https://fitnessinpost.com/36/ Tony Horton https://fitnessinpost.com/17/ Atlantic time blocking article 52 mins on 17 mins off Shawn Stevenson “How to Sleep Smarter” Connect wit

Jackie Vecchio is a writer and coach who helps women take care of themselves and their own happiness. She does this by helping her clients fill their own cup first, so they are ultimately able to give more to the world. In this episode of Able Business Radio, Jackie and Zack talk about 6 baby steps you can take to give yourself more time for what matters most. Links and resources mention: Jackie's free 5 day making time challenge at createhappy.net/makingtimechallenge. Connect with Jackie: Website: createhappy.net Facebook: facebook.com/createhappyblog Instagram: @createhappy   Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, PocketCast or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show gain exposure. The shownotes can be found at zacharysexton.com/6  

In this wide ranging conversation, productivity strategist Mike Vardy and I talk about new years resolutions, theming your days, months and years, using modes to get your best work done at the right time and much more. In this episode you'll learn: How to use simple frameworks to be more consistent. How to be productive when your energy levels are low. Mike's Vardiary and how to use journaling to let fewer obligations slip through the cracks. Mike's Quotables: "Capture everything. Regret nothing." "We teach what we need to learn the most." "Frameworks foster freedom, but you need to make them your own." "Be effective first. Efficient Second." Links and resources mention: Mike's special offer: productivityist.com/able Video recording of the podcast where we can see Mike's nicely combed hair and home office 28 day whole life fitness manifesto Couch to 5k 12 Week Year Mike's GTD coach podcast Redesign renew 3 words for the year blog post The Front 9: How to start the year you want any ti

Brittany is a Trello and productivity expert that works on a small marketing team. She shows us how you can use Trello collect, organize, review and do all the things that need to get done in your work and personal life. In this episode we cover: The 3 basic parts of Trello and how they help you and your teams wrap your heads around projects Alternative task and project managers to Trello and when they should be used Powerful Trello integrations and automations How a 5 person marketing team uses the Agile Scum methodology and Trello to improve their work and team communication Brittany's personal Trello Life Dashboard she uses to organize and prioritize her weeks How to remember and celebrate your big accomplishments Links and resources mention: https://www.project1440.co/ https://trello.com/ https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus https://en.todoist.com/ https://trello.com/gold https://zapier.com/ https://trello.com/power-ups https://butlerfortrello.com/ https://toggl.com/ h

Lilli started as a professional organizer. After years of working with physical clutter, she now uses her skills on disorganized computers. Her goal is to make your digital life simpler using technology. In this episode, Zack and Lilli talk about how to save time and securely organize your passwords using 1Password. In this episode, you will learn: Why having a variety of passwords is so important. How to start with a password manager. What to do when 1Password doesn't automatically save logins. Best way to share password databases with family members, team members, clients Other types of information to save in 1Passwords besides logins: Car VINs Credit Cards Bank Account info Drivers License Membership numbers Reward program numbers SSNs for all family members Software Licenses Turning on the 1Password fingerprint feature on your iPhone. Tips for creating a unique master password. Links and resources mentioned: Lilli's special coaching offer. https://1password.com/ h

Stephen believes self-employment is the future of work. His mission is to teach people to think and act like business owners. In this episode, we discuss how to architect a community to support your business goals. By listening, you will learn: Why you should stop making connections and networking and what you should do instead. How to build a community that wants to support you. The three type of people you need in your community. What a reverse mentor is and how they can help you succeed in business Links and resources mentioned: Jedi Council members Thomas Frank: website: https://collegeinfogeek.com/ youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/electrickeye91 podcast: https://collegeinfogeek.com/cast/ Stefano Ganddini website: https://collegetopia.co/ 10 Life skills that matter article Tell your story Purge your life Practice self-awareness Build a community Self-direct your learning Align your habits Reframe your mindset Plan your actions Embrace discomfort

Welcome to Able Business Radio! This is the new podcast we're starting at Buckets Productivity. In this episode, we introduce the podcast and lay out what you can expect to get from the show. In this particular episode you will learn: Who this show is for. What topics will be covered. How we plan on covering the productive topics. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, PocketCast or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show gain exposure.