So let's talk about time management versus productivity management, right? Is it the same thing? Do they go hand in hand? Talk to us about time management versus productivity management. Yeah. And boy, that is a fine line.

I think when you manage your time, then you are productive. So I think one leads to the other time management or is the, uh, I don't know. It's the buzzword.

It's the, it's the tools, the tips and tricks that will get you to productivity. So I guess that's how I would draw the line there. If I have, uh, if I'm, if I'm struggling with time management and I want to get more done in the time that I have, and I call upon you, what's the first thing we do when we say, when I say to you, Hey, Paul, listen, I need, I have the same 24 hours in the day that everybody else is.

Everybody else does. I need to get more done. I need time management help.

I need productivity help. What's the first thing we do? First thing is we're going to, um, I'm going to try to pin you down to what your core values are, because I want to know what you really want most. And this could be in your wellness.

This could be in your relationships. And this could be, of course, being a rock star at work. So I want to know what your core values are, because those are the things that get sort of shoved to the edges that make most of the clients that I work with feel dissatisfied, feel stuck, feel like I'm not living the best version of me because I'm just doing the urgent.

So we would start with our values. The next thing I would do is go to the vision for your life. And let's just go one year out.

What do you want your life to look like this time next year in all the major categories of your life? Let's just do a little exercise with that and brainstorm that out because we want to definitely manage our time in line with where you want to get to. Okay. I love that.

So let's, let's, uh, let's dig deep into that. So for my, for me, um, I come up to my wife at the end of the day, you know, we, everybody's where, as we're recording this, we're recording it at the very tail end of February, 2021. And, you know, at the end of the day, even though we're in the same house, we got four of us who are all doing our own things, right? I got two kids in school on zoom and my wife is doing her, her work in her office upstairs.

And I'm here in the studio. At the end of the day, we get together and I look at her and I go, how was your day? And she says, I had the most productive day. And you're right.

When, when I say, tell me about it. She feels like she's more productive when she's done things that are in line with what her, you know, what her mission is, what, what, what, what she's really trying to, uh, to accomplish. And you know, if I'm thinking about it in the, in the minute, since you first introduced this concept to me, I'm thinking to myself, you know, that's true of me too.

I mean, my mission, my purpose is to reach as many people, you know, a hundred thousand people, hopefully this year as I can and help them be more effective in growing their businesses, whether they're professionals or entrepreneurs. And when I, when I record a really good show like this one, or I reach out and I give a speech now virtually to, you know, 300 people, I feel like even no matter what else has happened, the rest of the house could collapse around me. I feel like I'm productive because I'm fulfilling my mission.

So, so I reach out to you and I say, I need help and you immediately go to my values. So that really is that, is that designed to make people focus on what's most important and that's how they feel better about what they're doing. Tell me why values first.

Well, and you used the word why just there, and it really is your big why. It brings me back to the Simon Sinek concept of start with why, right? That we don't pursue anything in life unless our why is bigger than our excuses. So most of us want to try some of this time management techniques, but the why isn't big enough.

So we just go back to our default way of doing things. But if the why is loving my spouse more or my children more or increasing knowledge so I can benefit my audience, wow, that's, that's pretty passionate building for me. So that's now I'm going to try to stick to these techniques because the end result is going to be so fulfilling.

Just like your wife says at the end of a great day. All right. So now this is starting to make some sense to me.

You know, when I read your bio and it says you read 40 books a year, you read 40 books a year. And I'm, I'm willing to bet if I said to you what's your, one of your core values, one of your core values is to expand and broaden your, your base of knowledge I would imagine. Right.

Or to enhance your creativity if you read nonfiction. Am I, am I right about that? Yeah. So on the strengths finder, I'm sorry if you read fiction.

Right. Right. Yeah.

I, uh, no, I'm, I'm completely nonfiction and that's fun for me. You know, some of my clients will be like, Oh, you got to read some some fun fantasy and sci-fi. And I'm like, you know, to me that's just a, that's great for you and to relax.

That's awesome. But for me, it's fun to read about leadership and personal growth. And so I just dive into that a whole hog.

Yeah. Learner is one of my top five on the strengths finder input is usually also somewhere in the top 10, which is learning to be able to pour back out into others. Wow.

That's, that's terrific. You know, you're, uh, you're the first guest I've had in a long time to bring up strengths finder. One of my favorite tools I worked at, I worked at Gallup for a number of years and I, uh, I know how powerful and how effective it can be.

Let's, let's go back to, so you're, so we start with my values. We start with what I'm really interested in and I feel good. I feel more productive when I'm fulfilling something that is part of my core mission as a person.

So I can have a productive day if I'm spending the day with my kids. And one of my core values is to be a great dad. I can also have a productive day if I do three podcast interviews and give a talk to a group of 30 people and you know, I'm helping conceivably thousands of people.

So doing two different things with my time, yet I'm still productive in both areas. It's kind of a, that's kind of a Jedi mind trick when it comes to really looking at productivity. Right? So if my, if my core value, if my number one value is to be a great dad, I mean, you know, I still have to figure out how to make money.

So I shouldn't feel like I'm unproductive when I'm doing, when I'm doing work because I need money to be a great dad. Right? So we have to really, so mindset is the first step. That's what you're telling me.

Yes, yes. And the we're on parallel paths, right? You're being a great dad and you're being an awesome influencer for the rest of the world. Those can still be on parallel paths.

Now we have to of course make time, not find time, but make time for each of those goals within a week or within a day to feel like we're moving the ball forward. You, you just, you just said something there, which, which really has got me thinking again, make time versus find time, right? Time, time exists. We don't, you know, we don't, we, we use time, but how do we make time? So tell me about making time, Paul.

Yeah. Time is definitely an equal opportunity employer. We all have the same amount.

And when, when someone says I'm going to try to find time for this, it doesn't happen. It becomes like the the new year's resolution, which is just a wonderful wish that we throw out into the world, but it doesn't have any I don't know, any, any teeth to it, any, any distinct goals. So I'm a huge goals guy.

Obviously it's what I do for a living. So I love goals. And so we're going to have to set some goals in order to make time for things and then hold to it.

So the first tip I would say is we've got to establish our priorities because that is going to be the key for setting the goals daily, weekly, quarterly, for the, for you to be productive over a sustained period of time. And the way I would start with is by doing a daily preview every single day. A daily preview is where you take out your last half hour of the day.

Whenever you're you end your work day, literally put it on your Outlook or your Google calendar daily preview. You keep that sacred and you look ahead at tomorrow and you decide what are my top three priorities for tomorrow. And it can be in any of your aligned core values or vision types of activities, but you are going to go to bed tonight, knowing that I've got a plan for tomorrow.

And I'm going to make time for these three things. Then you wake up in the morning tomorrow and it's like, Oh, I already know what I'm doing. So I'm not going to waste any time squirreling about my office for what do I have to do? And another cool thing, Dave, is the, the research shows that your your brain subliminally works on problems while you sleep.

So if the last thing you do for work is to set your priorities for tomorrow, your intentions for tomorrow, you may wake up in the shower in the morning going, ah, I've got a way to solve that problem today. And we come up with our best ideas in the shower. You're a hundred percent right.

And you know, my theory behind that with my limited knowledge of dime store psychology is that because we have a routine in the shower, pretty much things in there are on autopilot, right? Right. And we're going through, we're going through our routine in the shower. And that gives the rest of our mind time to be productive time to wander.

And that's where, and that's where those great ideas come from. So the first two things, for those of you, those of you keeping score at home, the time management advice that no one tells you, the first thing is values, right? If your values are front and center and you're focused on your values, you will, uh, you will automatically prioritize them and you'll feel good. If you're acting within your values, you'll feel productive at the end of the day.

The second thing, second time management advice, time management tip that no one tells you is the daily preview. So do the daily preview and review it. If I'm hearing Paul, right, review it the night before that'll put you to work while you sleep.

When you wake up in the morning, you go take a shower and lo and behold, something will have appeared or, you know, a couple of days a week, you'll have an idea that will help you solve a problem or facilitate implementing a solution to something you've been most concerned about.