The Productivity Show

Weekly Planning for Your Many Hats

Juggling multiple roles? This Wisdom Wednesday, I’m sharing practical weekly planning strategies to help you stay on top of everything without feeling overwhelmed. Discover how to free up mental space, make time for deep thinking, and build flexibility into your week so you can thrive in all your responsibilities. Learn how to plan smarter, not harder, and reclaim your weekends. Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps. Links: Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt. DripDrop 25X Productivity Coaching If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!

The Power (and Pitfalls) of a Fresh Start: How to Use Psychological Clean Slates to Your Advantage (TPS594)

Have you ever wondered why we’re so motivated on January 1st but lose steam by February? In this episode, we dive into the “Fresh Start Effect” from Katy Milkman’s book How to Change. We explore how psychological clean slates—like Mondays, birthdays, or even a new notebook—can reset your identity and boost motivation. However, fresh starts have a hidden downside: they can actually derail high performers. We’ll show you how to strategically time your resets and use environmental changes to unlock new behaviors without losing your hard-earned momentum. Sign up for a $1/month trial period at shopify.com/tps. Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps. Visit asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Cheat Sheet: Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt. 📚 Top 3 Productivity Resources 🧠 Why certain moments in your life make change *dramatically* easier—and how to spot them [05:18]. ⚠️ When a “fresh start” can actually backfire and slow you down [23:10]. 🚀 How to engineer your own fresh start—without waiting for January 1st [27:47]. Links: Shopify DripDrop 25X Productivity Coaching How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman Logitech G915 X Lightspeed Keyboard Glocusent Book Light How to Stop Worrying and Start Living — Dale Carnegie Productivity Academy The Productivity Show on Youtube The Productivity Show Youtube Clips Become a member of TPS+ Take the Productivity Quiz If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!

Why the Best Weekly Reviews Focus on Values, Not Tasks (TPS593)

Are you objectively productive but subjectively unfulfilled? You might be focusing on the “clock” (tasks and efficiency) instead of the “compass” (values and direction). In this episode, we explore Scott Young’s research on the most underrated productivity technique: the values-based weekly review. We’ll show you how to use the “5 Whys” to connect tasks to deeper motivations, apply Stephen Covey’s “First Things First” philosophy, and finally feel satisfied with your time. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TPS, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll. Visit asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Cheat Sheet: Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt. 🚨 The one ground rule that keeps this episode from going completely off the rails [00:29] 📚 Top 3 Productivity Resources [02:51] 🧠 Why checking off tasks can still leave you feeling behind (and what fixes it) [04:17] 🧭 The five rules Thanh uses to design a “perfect week” no matter how busy life gets [24:47] ⚡ How to make the weekly review fast, sustainable, and impossible to skip [29:59] Links: Gusto 25X Productivity Coaching Mike does the 5 Whys: Why Pursuing the Work-Life Balance Myth is Hurting Your Productivity (TPS139) Book: Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career by Scott Young Book: First Things First by Stephen Covey Fantastical Scott Young: The Most Underrated Productivity Technique Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage by Charles Fine Achieving Next-Level Productivity Through Conative Understanding w/ David Kolbe (TPS197) CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman Productivity Academy The Productivity Show on Youtube The Productivity Show Youtube Clips Become a member of TPS+ Take the Productivity Quiz If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!

Presence Is The Ultimate Gift This Christmas

Want the holidays to feel longer and more meaningful? The secret isn’t doing more. It’s being more present. In this Wisdom Wednesday episode, I’ll show you why divided attention makes time feel shorter, how presence slows life down, and one simple way to enjoy your holidays more without adding anything to your schedule. This episode is brought to you by 25X Productivity Coaching – double your personal productivity, be happier at work, and have an extra 5 hours a week of free time. Links: Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt. 25X Productivity Coaching If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!

Organizing Your Digital Life: Practical Tips For Files, Notes, And Photos (TPS592)

Feeling overwhelmed by digital clutter? In this episode, Thanh and Brooks share practical tips to organize your files, meeting notes, and photos across all your devices and cloud storage. Learn how to centralize your assets, create smart folder structures, use consistent naming conventions, and leverage AI tools for effortless organization. Discover the 3-2-1 backup strategy and simple declutter habits to keep your digital life streamlined and stress-free. Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps. Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Cheat Sheet: Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt. ⚽️ World Cup plans… and a sneak peek at how big events can hijack your focus [01:02]. 📚 Top 3 Productivity Resources [03:44]. ☁️🖥️ Local vs cloud isn’t either/or—here’s the hybrid approach that keeps things fast and safe [06:03]. 🧠 Files aren’t “files” anymore… so what are you actually organizing now? [07:33]. 🏷️ The naming move that makes “future you” grateful (and searching effortless) [15:37]. 📸 Confession time: why even the organized people stop naming photos—and what they do instead [16:47]. 🔎 Clicking folders is dead—this is how to jump to anything in seconds [23:49]. 🧩 The “3 keywords” trick that quietly turns chaos into instant retrieval [25:04]. 🗂️ Version clutter is real—how to keep drafts without drowning in V12_final_FINAL [25:51]. ❤️ Your most irreplaceable digital assets might not be what you think… and why backups matter more than ever [30:27]. 🛟 The 3-2-1 rule explained with a real-world disaster scenario you’ll actually remember [31:18]. 📄 PDFs, transcripts, and the “digital filing cabinet” strategy that keeps everything accessible [33:25]. 🤖 Meeting transcripts + AI = a productivity unlock most people haven’t noticed yet [34:21]. 🧠✨ The “Weekly Synthesizer” workflow that finds patterns you’d miss—even if you took perfect notes [41:08]. ✅ One small action this week that starts compounding immediately [46:15]. Links: DripDrop 25X Productivity Coaching New Order: A Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks (and Everyone Else) by Fay Wolf Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport Productivity Academy The Productivity Show on Youtube The Productivity Show Youtube Clips Become a member of TPS+ Take the Productivity Quiz If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!