Hi Reader

I don't know about you, but I'm totally over all this "do more, be more" productivity shizz. It's been done to death and kinda feels a bit toxic nowadays.

Frankly, I think most people are exhausted by pretty much everything right now.

Efficiency, however, is a whole different ballgame. Efficiency I can get behind.

After 17 years in business and being somewhat of a minimalist and lover of simplicity, I've learned that efficiency is about subtracting things rather than adding them.

I call it "lazy gal" productivity.

Lazy gal productivity is about working with who I am and what I already have. Here are a couple of examples of what this looks like.

1) Working with myself

I've noticed that I'm more creative early in the morning, so I write newsletters and blog posts as soon as I get up.

In the past, it could take me a couple of days to put together a post or newsletter. But if I get up early, I can bang out an email in a couple of hours while still in my dressing gown.

By lunchtime, my brainpower has wilted, and my focus has been diluted by a dozen interactions and tasks.

So, for me, mornings are perfect for writing and strategy, and I save afternoons for appointments, emails, calls, image creation and commenting on posts.

Basically, anything that doesn't require intense focus.

Action: There will be a time of the day when you're naturally most creative or have your best ideas. Try to identify when that is and match it with the appropriate tasks.

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2) I use "dead" time

Not only am I far more creative in the mornings, but I also have my best ideas in two distinct places.

1. Lying in bed after I wake up
2. While walking my dog

I've actually "written" entire blog posts while walking Monty.

Loads of ideas come to me when I'm out in the fresh air, so I whip out my phone and brain dump everything into an email or WhatsApp message.

I use WhatsApp constantly for this kind of thing. I created a group with just me in it, and I send myself thoughts, ideas, links, and images I want to reference later.

Action: Identify pockets of "dead" time when ideas naturally come to you and capture them. These times could be when cooking, jogging, cleaning, or walking home from the school run.

It doesn't matter whether you use your Notes app, WhatsApp or another method; just make sure you capture your thoughts while they're fresh.

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3) I ditch as much as I can

Once I learned that reducing things quiets my brain, lowers my stress levels, and makes literally everything easier, I applied the process to every area of my life. For example:

• I only have one spare set of bedding because that's all I need.
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• I don't have twenty teaspoons or six spatulas.
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• I rarely keep things "just in case".
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• I turn off all phone notifications except text, calls, and WhatsApp. (WA groups are muted obvs).
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• I won't buy products that require me to download an app.
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Around 2017, I made the conscious decision: "The older I get, the simpler I want my life to be."

There are times when this isn't always possible, but I try to remember this when making decisions - especially big life choices.

Action: Each time you go to download an app, sign up for a new platform, say yes to something or make a purchase, ask yourself, "Will this make my life easier or will it just add unnecessary work and hassle?"

This is why I'm always telling you to regularly audit your business.

If you know where the money is coming from, you can focus your limited time and energy on what already works.

You can double down on your most popular services and replicate your most lucrative clients.

When you prioritise making the most amount of money for the least amount of work, you get to spend more time with your family and on other things that make you happy.

🤎 Espresso Shot

If you suspect you're being busy but not productive, ask AI to perform a calendar autopsy for you.

THE PROMPT

Here’s my calendar from the last 7 days: [paste a screenshot]. Analyse it like a forensic investigator.

• What meetings/tasks are fragmented or badly batched?
• Where are the context switches?
• What are 3 changes that would save me the most time AND mental energy next week?

Output: a before/after weekly schedule.

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That's it from me, see you next week!

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PS: This is the best way I've found to organise my calendar.