294. Mastering Personal Productivity: Lessons from an Executive Advisor at Google with Laura Martin (Part 2)

The Greg McKeown Podcast

Greg McKeown

Education, Business, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

About the Guest: Laura Martin is the Executive Productivity Advisor at Google and the author of the book, Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing. She started her career at Google, where she taught people how to manage their inbox effectively. This passion grew into a full-time role, and she now works with executives one-on-one and runs the productivity program at Google. Laura is the author of the book. Episode Summary: In this episode, I interview Laura Mae Martin, a productivity expert and author, about the importance of setting boundaries with technology and creating systems to enhance productivity. Laura shares her personal experience of implementing a tech-free evening once a week and the positive impact it has had on her overall well-being. She also discusses the various systems she has put in place to minimize distractions and maximize focus, such as setting up email labels and notifications, using wearable devices, and customizing her digital environment. The conversation delves into the challenges of technology addiction and the need for intentional use of devices to align with personal priorities. Key Takeaways: Implementing a tech-free evening once a week can provide a much-needed break from constant connectivity and allow for quality time with loved ones. Creating systems and setting boundaries with technology can help minimize distractions and increase focus on essential tasks. Customizing email labels and notifications can help prioritize important messages and reduce the overwhelm of a cluttered inbox. Using wearable devices can provide a way to stay connected without getting caught up in the distractions of a smartphone. Taking control of personal intention and being intentional about technology use can empower individuals to make conscious choices and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Notable Quotes: "Your intention is your only power that you carry. If you are applying intention to the way you use that device, to the way that you use your time, all of those things become your control." - Laura Martin "No tool is going to solve all your problems. People are looking for the hottest new productivity tool. No device is going to be your biggest problem. It's always about how you are using your own intention, your own systems within all of those things, that makes the biggest difference in your overall well-being and your productivity." - Laura Martin Resources: Laura Martin's website Laura Martin on LinkedIn Join my weekly newsletter. Learn more about my books and courses. Join The Essentialism Academy. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Just before we get started here with the podcast episode, here's another invitation to every single person listening.
0:08.8	If you haven't yet signed up for the less but better course, it's completely free. It has taken months to design. It comes with a workbook that you can print up and work through a series of 10 lessons and also a 30-day email course. You don't get an email every day,
0:27.0	thank goodness that's overwhelming, but you do get one every three or four days that supports the ongoing journey.
0:35.9	Actually, it's not even that, it's where to start.
0:40.2	If you have ever wondered where to start with essentialism and with effortless, this course is the answer. It's completely free.
0:48.8	It takes 10 seconds to sign up for, you go to Greg McHughwen.com, you scroll down a little way, you sign up there.
0:55.8	10 seconds, you're done, and that's the place to start.
0:59.4	With that, let's get to this episode. So, there's one of the idea here that I thought was, I mean it's interesting not because we haven't heard it before, but the idea a few years ago, you gave your colleagues a challenge, okay, one night a week, completely unplugged and you know that is no phones, no iPads, no computers
1:27.0	and you can have an analog evening.
1:30.0	You instituted Tuesday night, so tech-free Tuesday.
1:34.4	I got lots of questions about it.
1:36.2	Do you still do it?
1:37.0	That's my first question.
1:38.3	Yes, I do.
1:39.3	Do you?
1:40.0	This week you did it.
1:41.1	From what time to what time?
1:42.2	We do dinner time until the following morning.
1:45.8	So do you? So it's like in the same way that breakfast comes from break the fast.
1:51.4	Yes. You are breaking the Fast, you are entering a fast.
1:55.6	Mm-hmm. When you, when you have, when you start that meal.
2:00.9	How old are your children?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Greg McKeown, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Greg McKeown and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.