Sharp - The Podcast

Episode 55 - Would you like an extra week in your year to focus on really important stuff? How about TWO weeks? How about ELEVEN days of fun/important/helpful personal time? Take control of your calendar and you could have that - and more. We show you how.Here's all the good stuff:Forbes.com article on 6 things you should NOT have on your calendarMeetingsBack to back appointmentsChecklistsNotesMiniscule tasksOther people's prioritiesHistory.com and the Gregorian CalendarToday's date on the Hijri CalendarYes - that idiot STEVE IN THE FIELD is back (well almost!)9 things that SHOULD be on your calendarTomorrow's frogMeetings with yourselfFree/personal/family timeBreaksCategoriesWhere you areTravel timeDate/time specific appointmentsDeveloping yourselfLISA and Steve are back at the kitchen table TOO!5 cool habits to support a SHARP calendarWeekly reviewLink work and homeEnd of day review/journalPlan ahead - 2 further weeks each weekSaying 'no' to yourself (by planning things other than the easy stuff) Other rese

No shownotes - just me, telling you, why you've been waiting ages for an episode! As always, we're really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: * Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here - i-tunes * Contact us on Twitter - we are @sharppodcast here * Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ * Share with at us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ * Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you'd like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it's all been worth it!

Episode 54 - We talk to the whirlwind that is Laura Gassner Otting! With her new book coming out (in April 2019 at time of writing) Laura shares her view on life, what gets in the way, and how we can all enjoy a life without limits!Look at all this stuff we covered:Laura's background and wide range of experienceSocks (Isle of Wight of course!)New Year's resolutionsWhy there will always be a bigger boatHow Laura uses her calendar (great tips here)Putting things offGTD"Limitless - How to Ignore Everybody, Carve your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life"Click on the link above to order/pre-order in the US, or here - To order in the UKWhat Consonance means to LauraThe four C's:CallingConnectionContributionControlWhy following your passion is bad adviceOlder entrepreneursYour job may not be the reason why you're unhappy with your jobYep I had to read that twice - but it's correctYour brain is a liarWhat you do needs to match who you areMath(s), dancing, doing the big thing and much much more!

Episode 53 - In the last of our revisits to helping you get even SHARPER this year, we go back to episode 30, where we summarised all the good stuff about routines. How is your start of day routine? Is it setting you up for the best you can be each day? And what about your end-of-day routine - does that help you wind down in the right way? These episodes are definitely worth another listen, which is why we did it!If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here:Episode 12 (Hello, Good Morning), where we cover:Why you should think about your morning routinePlanning to plan from a personal perspectiveHaving a morning routine isn't just for people running multi-million-pound operationsBut if they do it - why shouldn't you?I've done the research in places like Success magazine, Forbes, Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, David Allen and so on, so you don't have to. Here are some articles for further reading:(Success link removed as article has since been taken down)FastCompany - The morning routines of the m

Episode 52 - We go back in time to an episode we originally broadcast in 2017, where we summarised the best ideas we'd found on setting GREAT goals. This version of EP29 is edited to be a bit tighter. We've got rid of the out-of-date stuff and kept the good stuff. Wanna set better goals for 2019? Give it a listen.If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here:Episode 18 (Why Your Goals Aren't Working) where we cover:The resource out there on setting goals5 steps that many people agree on when setting successful goals1) Visualising your goal – invoke all of your sensesThe brain’s link between sounds, smells and memory2) Writing your goal down – using the S.M.A.R.T. acronymBe Specific about what the goal isDefine how you would Measure whether you’ve achieved the goalUse ‘Action’ language – Do, Become, DevelopRealistic – either take this literally and make the goals realistic or take the ‘Big Hairy Audacious’ approach and set really stretching goals. You decide!Set a Time limit to when you wan

Episode 51 - New Year's Resolutions don't work. But at this time of year, you might be thinking about what you want to be different in 2019. So we've re-released a tighter, updated version of Episode 28. Even if you've heard this already - it's well worth listening to again. There's SO much there!If you'd like to listen to the FULL episodes, the links are here:Episode 5 (Breaking Bad), where we cover:What are habits?How are they formed? According to Charles Duhigg in his book – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to ChangeThe notion of cue/routine/rewardBad habits – smoking – yuk! How to stop with – The EasyWay method from Allen CarrThe plasticity of our brains and changing habitsPodcast resource 1 – Freakonomics Radio – How to be More ProductiveChanging behaviour – the BJ Fogg ModelThe notion of Motivation/Ability/TriggerPodcast resource 2 – The One You Feed Episode 91Why motivation is not the only way to change habitsWhy you should aim for ‘easy’Baby steps – or ‘How to design a website just by

Episode 50 - We look back over what we've done in the past year or so with a little help from our friends.Some of the stuff in there is:How we ended last year with our tribute to Steve in the FieldWhat Mayor Lance Olive likes about STP, SITF and Episode 27His tips on using a calendar wellMel Elliot's thoughts on her favourite episode - STP033 Ready Steady TomatoGiving YOU my system in Episodes 35,36 and 37Laura Gassner Otting's thoughts on - STP034 How About NOLaura's own tips on saying 'NO'How moving house in April ended up with us making - STP038 Taking It On With TrelloA fellow podcast producer, Suzi The Casual Birder, shared why she liked itMy favourite episode - STP042 Jessica AbelVic's top tip from Tourist PodcastWhat we did this summerWhy Debby Barnes locked on to - STP 047 Overcomoing PerfectionismOur episode on Better Public Speaking helped me do my jobOur friends Jeff and Cade over at Super Pee Pee Time podcast help us end this episode making less (or more) sense than where we started!

Episode 49 - Life is too short for terrible meetings. We explore how to make them better, whether you run 'em, go to 'em, or avoid 'em. Dive in...Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Who invented the meetingTerrible conference calls - an exampleWhy a CNBC article confirms your worst fears - meetings can be rubbishEverything that's wrong with meetingsHolding meetings 101 - The basics:Respect your attendee's timeGet to the pointConsider who HAS to be thereSet the agendaChange the locationOr even just change SEATS!John Cleese shows us what's wrong with meetingsCan you make meetings better if you're invited to them? YES YOU CANA great article by Tom Catalini - how to avoid meetings that waste your timeBook meetings with yourselfFind out from the organiser what the purpose is of the meetingReach out to the other delegates and help each other prepareWhy you should sometimes say 'no'Arrive late - or leave earlyA GREAT Ted talk by David Grady - Worth 6 minutes of your time trust meThe radical stuff - what Jeff Bezos,

Episode 48 - In this episode, we talk about why public speaking and presenting can be difficult, and we give you 13 tips to help you get better in this tricky area.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:My terrible presentationTrust me - you look better than you thinkWhy we can find public speaking difficult - even scaryGlossophobiaLisa talks to us from a different table about her experienceHave your opening lines preparedFeeling anxiousTapping your fingers (not EFT)Relaxing about not having all the answersUsing a 'car park'A great Psychology Today article on why public speaking is so difficultOur physiologyAnxiety about being anxiousThe stakes are raisedOverestimating the skills needed and the consequencesPeople's statusJudgement and evaluationA new audience or a new ideaTips on speaking in small groupsToastmasters groupsKnowing your subjectEngaging with the audienceSlowing downThinking about breathingConversation, not presentationLess is moreHave a look at this Toastmasters videoTips for larger, more full blo

Episode 47 - Why perfectionism is, at best, unhelpful and, at worst, a serious problem. We explore what perfectionism is and how to deal with it wherever it appears.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:The link between perfectionism and competitivenessWhere both of mine came from (I'm better now!)Why you should never declare perfectionism as a 'weakness' in an interviewWhat perfectionism is, according to Steve and Lisa at the tableWhat research says the different kinds of perfectionism areAdaptive and MaladaptiveSelf-Oriented - Other-Oriented - Socially PrescribedThe worrying research that shows how it can be linked to mental health issuesIt's growing - especially among the younger generationThe 6 disadvantages of perfectionismWhy you should listen to Super Pee Pee time6 ways of dealing with perfectionism in othersHow to deal with it if you manage people who have it10 tips on dealing with your own perfectionismBaby stepsFocus on what's enjoyableBe self-awareFocus on the positiveMeditateFocus on the journey, n

Episode 46 - We dive deep into your memory and think we should probably not have looked so close, given what we found! But in this episode, we talk about why memory is important, how it works and how you can improve yours.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Devices versus memoryWhy do I keep forgetting toothpasteWhat is memory?The Brain Institute at the University of Queensland's article on - 8 memory typesWhat happens when severe memory loss hits usMemento - The IMDB summaryHenry Gustav Molaison - his story at WikipediaAdrian Ellis' story - at HeadwayClive Wearing - the YouTube snipWhere in your head is the memory?Janice Chen's experiment with - Sherlock Holmes and brain scansRagbag - by Frank BurtonUniversity of Queensland tells us - why memory is like grassHow to remember 20 random thingsHow to remember people's names every timeThe Smithsonian article on - Simonides and the Mind PalaceThe article at BBC Future on our final memory tipSome of our research came from:The Scientific AmericanThe research from

Episode 45 - We've learned amazing stuff about our brains for this episode. We give you 2 great articles, a fab Ted talk AND a smorgasbord of remarkable brain-related facts! Hold on to your hat...Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:We've realised that the SAW that we're sharpening every week is the one in our headsDid you ever notice it in the logo?All the mind-blowing facts in this episode come from this fab article at - bebrainfit.comHow many? Phenomenal brain numbersA superb article from Sean Nisil at - Productivityist.comHe has written about cognitive loadEmpty your brainStop things filling it upYou'll thank yourself, feel more relaxed, be creative and your 3 pounds of fat and water will be SHARPER!Lewis Hamilton doesn't drive a Hillman ImpA good news/bad news sandwich around how flexible your brain isWhat a great article from Lachlan Brown at - Hackspirit.comHe tells us 7 activities or hobbies that science says can make you smarterMeditateLearn a second languageReadExercise your bodyExercise your brain

Episode 44 - Can you rely on time? Can you manage it? What were you doing with yours 3 days ago at 3:15 pm? Wanna find out? Then have a listen!Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Time management doesn't workWhat does 'time' even mean?Could we change how we measure time - some people already haveTime seems to stretch depending on what you are doingPsychology Today explains why the years pass faster as you get olderTerry - come one, give him a chance! At least his facts are realThe earth doesn't revolve every 24 hoursThe French tried to 'decimalise' time - TWICE! In the Soviet Union, they changed the length of the week 3 times in the 20th CenturyChanging your approach to what fills your day could work two ways:Getting more done in the same timeDoing the same amount in less timeWhich one do you want? They're both good for different reasonsLunchtime - how do you do yours?Why measuring 'performance' just based on how many hours someone works may not be usefulIs it time to find out what fills your 168 hours?E-mail

Episode 43 - What makes us happy? Lots of things. Whether being happy means getting through things quicker, spending more time focusing on what's important, or being inspired - here are some ideas.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:A recommendation from Charles Duhigg (Author of Smarter Faster Better and The Power of Habit)It was this excellent piece by Alice Boyes at Harvard Business Review:Why do we fail at focusing on what's importantHow to change thatSchedule time for themIsolate the most impactful bitsAnticipate and manage your feelings of anxietySpend less time on unimportant tasksPrioritise tasks that will reduce your number of urgent/unimportant tasksPay attention to what helps you see and track the bigger pictureA podcast recommendation we've made before - 10% HappierBeing happy doesn't just mean laughing; it can also come from feeling upliftedThe latest episodes of 10% Happier do just that, give them a listenIf you want to just get things done in the day, we found a resource with 5 quick tipsIt w

Episode 42 - I claim that we cover the meaning of life, the universe, and everything - in episode 42. It's possible I claimed it incorrectly, but we had a great chat about how YOU can finally free time up to get that creative project up and running - or in fact, do anything which has been burning a hole in the back of your mind for the last few years.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Jessica's first piece of work that I discovered - Out On The WireThen I found the amazing - Growing GillsWe talked about how to focus on what's importantHow it can be difficult to find space to get that creative idea off the groundWhat do you need to do in order to do itJessica's fantastic - Creative Focus Workshop(Cover image credit: Jessica Abel)

Episode 41 - Four ideas and suggestions for the price of one episode! And, of course, that price is ZERO pence, cents, yen, euro etc...Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Before we hit the subjects, a simple plea asking for your help - if you like what we do, please tell one friend who you think would also like what we doONE: A great blog we found at lifehacker.com from Michelle WooMichelle suggests we should split our to-do list into 2:A simple listA hard listShe goes on to explain why paying attention to your biological rhythms can help you get more doneBacked up by people such as Molly Crockett and Dan pinkThe full article by Michelle Woo is hereThe funny one at Buzzfeed (ketchup for bookmarks)TWO:  Evernote have a smashing podcastThe episode we spotlight is one featuring Michael Hyatt and Marvell AllenMarvell talks about how influence is not limited to managersHow do people who work in organisations have as much influence on businessShe also helps us deal with difficult managersEvernote podcast link her

Hi – this is just to tell you, that if you were expecting an episode to drop last weekend, you’re right – it didn’t! But there is stuff coming next weekend! In the meantime why not have a listen to some past episodes, they’re really good – and you must have missed one of them!  Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is: * Nothing – but keep your eyes peeled next weekend! As always, we’re really grateful for your help in supporting this podcast. To do this you can: * Rate or subscribe at i-tunes by going here – i-tunes * Contact us on Twitter – we are @sharppodcast here * Connect with us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sharppodcast/ * Share with at us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sharppodcast/ * Post comments on the website. This link will take you to home page, and then you can go onto the episode you’d like to comment on here Thanks EVER SO MUCH for listening. If we help you to BE BETTER at what you do, then it&#

Episode 40 - Problems not going away? Struggling to solve the big ones? Then this episode is for you. We look at the Creative Problem Solving model and how it can help YOU sort them out.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Steve In The Field is back - OH NO!What do we mean by 'problem'?The things that cause us to struggle:What the heck is 'convergent thinking'?Quotes - they sound nice, but many don't really help, do they?Lisa and Steve at the table are back - HOORAY!We demonstrate why 'sticky thinking' doesn't helpCreative Problem Solving - the CEF full explanation is here The key stages of the Creative Problem Solving modelClarifyGather as much information as you can about the problemUse - The 5 Why TechniqueAsk more questions - Who? What? Where? When? How?Define your aim - where do you want to get to, what would the world be like if the problem went away?Remember, the problem may not be the thing you want to solveIdeateCome up with as much data as you can on the problemBrainstormUse search enginesMake list

Episode 39 - A roundup of the best stuff we've found on social media in these last 2 weeks to help you get better. If you recognise any of the words in the title, there are some solutions for you here.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Getting used to the new studio - does it sound OK to you?Some great resource on social media we've found to help you get betterThis fab article by John Rampton on - Discipline versus MotivationMiranda Marquit says - willpower is a limited resource, and you need self-motivation to sustain you when willpower runs outTop Gun pilot David Berke disagrees. He says motivation is meaninglessMe contradicting Jim Rohn? Controversial!Self-motivation and external motivationDaniel Pink's fabulous book - DrivePodcast recommendation - Next Action associatesGTD reducing stressWhy I am calmer than I have ever been as a resultVideo recommendation - This fabulous Ted Talk from BJ FoggThe power of Motivation, Ability and a TriggerChanging our behaviour with tiny habits can cause long-term chang

Episode 38 - David Allen said that anything with more than 2 steps is a project. But what if they've got 10 steps, 20 or more? We've found a simple solution to help you manage everything from a trip to the shops to a full-blown project.Some of the USEFUL stuff in there is:Planning a party, running a website or a blog, having a family - these are all projectsWhy projects can be a problem to get hold ofAction lists are not the best solution to them'Spirally' bitsHow Trello can helpWhy Piggly Wiggly was different - according to the SmithsonianProjects are messy - Trello keeps it all together with youThe great stuff that people do with Trello - have a look at their examplesTaiichi Ohno and his visit to Piggly Wiggly in 1956How he went on to develop Kanban and 'Just In Time' for ToyotaRead more from Six SigmaHow SIMPLE Trello isOr it can be more sophisticated if you need itIf you can fill in a post-it note, you can use TrelloWhat Joel Spolsky says about TrelloGo and try it for yourself at - Trello.com