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Productivity Coaching, Time Management Consulting and Leadership Coaching for business and nonprofits - get your most important work done. Collaborating with leaders and their teams to become more strategic, focused and productive. Leadership and Board Coaching, Strategic Planning Facilitation, Productivity Coaching and Time Management Consulting, Professional Speaker.
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stress Tag

19 Feb

Posted at 18:40h in Attention Managment, Focus and Prioritize, Intentional Productivity, Productivity for Leaders, Stress Management

 

If the things that matter most keep getting pushed aside, the problem may not be time — it may be what’s competing for your attention.

Sorting through five days of mail after being out of town, I heard myself say – out loud – “I’m never subscribing to another magazine again.” It wasn’t really about the magazines. For years, when I’ve spoken about managing paper, we’ve talked about that subtle sense of obligation — the feeling that if something comes into our home or office, we should read it. We should give it our attention. And there I was, doing the very same thing.

My Harvard Business Review and Nutrition Action Health letter — the ones I actually value — were barely being opened. Meanwhile, I was spending my limited casual reading time on grocery store flyers, unsolicited catalogs, and local magazines I never asked for in the first place.

That’s when it hit me: I wasn’t just mismanaging my reading. I was misdirecting my attention. And attention is one of our most precious resources.

A focus problem disguised as a paper problem

Overwhelm rarely comes from having too much that matters. It comes from too much that doesn’t competing for our attention. Every item we keep creates tiny decisions:

  • Should I read this?
  • When will I get to it?
  • Do I need this?

Those micro-decisions create mental clutter – and mental clutter makes focus harder. Today, this shows up far beyond paper. It’s the movie you’ve genuinely wanted to watch for months – the one you intentionally chose – competing with 60 TikTok’s you never meant to open. Same time spent. Very different result. One leaves you restored or inspired. The other leaves you wondering where the evening went. The issue isn’t time. It’s attention drift.

A better-aligned system

I needed a system that worked with my real life — not the life I imagined I should be living. So I made a few small changes:

  • I moved my priority reading to where I naturally sit — the kitchen island and family room.
  • I (ruthlessly) recycle unwanted material immediately.
  • I spend my reading time on what I intentionally chose, not what simply arrived.

Same 15 minutes. Completely different outcome.

Designing for how you actually live

Here’s another truth: most of my reading now happens on my computer or phone. My Substack and LinkedIn feeds bring thoughtful, relevant content aligned with my interests and work. So this isn’t about eliminating magazines — or streaming, or social media. It’s about being honest about what you value, how you naturally operate, and designing systems that support both. Because productivity isn’t about forcing yourself to work the “right” way. It’s about making it easier to do what matters.

The leadership connection

This same dynamic shows up at work every day. Leaders don’t struggle because they lack priorities. They struggle because too many non-priorities are allowed to compete with them.

  • Unread reports
  • Unnecessary meetings
  • Low-value requests
  • Constant digital noise

When everything asks for attention, the truly important work quietly loses. Productivity — for individuals and leaders alike — isn’t about doing more. It’s about protecting attention so the right work gets done.

The bigger picture

This small shift is about far more than reading material. It’s about:

  • Choosing intentionally instead of reacting automatically
  • Removing what competes for your attention
  • Making space for what matters most

When you do that, focus gets easier. Decisions get lighter. And overwhelm begins to fade. So if the things that matter to you aren’t getting your attention, don’t ask: “What’s wrong with me?”

Ask instead: “How can I make the important things easier to reach — and the unimportant things easier to let go?” That’s where thriving begins.  And it’s how work – and life – start to work better.

Protect What Matters Most

Attention is at the heart of productivity. In my book, Productivity for How You’re Wired, I help readers understand their unique productivity style and build systems that support focus, clarity, and meaningful progress — without forcing themselves into someone else’s method.

Available on Amazon in print, eBook, and audio.

09 Dec

Posted at 14:51h in Focus and Prioritize, Productivity, Stress Management, Tips for Easier Living

This post is an updated twist on one of my most-loved holiday articles — because some lessons are worth serving again.

As we move into the holiday season, life can start to resemble an overfilled dinner plate. Obligations, commitments, events, expectations — we heap them on, spoonful after spoonful, often choosing things that make others happy. But when we fill our plate with everyone else’s favorites, we leave no room for the mashed potatoes or cookies we genuinely love.

And that’s when dissatisfaction creeps in. We end the holidays depleted, unfulfilled… and somehow still hunting for dessert, hoping it will fill what’s missing.

A satisfying life isn’t an accident. It’s the result of intentionally making space for what nourishes you most — those holiday cookie moments that make everything richer, sweeter, and more meaningful.

Why We Don’t Put What We Want on Our Plate

Over the last year, through my work as a Productivity Coach, I’ve noticed something consistent: most people — regardless of their role or title — struggle to make room for what truly matters. We are all leaders of our own lives, yet we often forget to lead ourselves toward what satisfies us.

Here are three common patterns I see:

  1. We Put Our Passion Projects on the Back Burner

Do you have a project that excites you, inspires you, or simply brings you joy — yet somehow never makes it onto your schedule? Between daily demands, inboxes, meetings, and the business-of-business, the work that would actually fulfill us gets pushed aside in favor of what feels urgent.

There is a way to change this. You must plan for your satisfying work.

    • Break your project into small, doable steps
    • Prioritize those steps
    • Move them from the “when I have time” list to your Important or Hot list
    • Protect short blocks of time and work on it consistently

Progress is built one spoonful at a time. Think of it like the old saying: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Big, meaningful work doesn’t happen in one push — it happens in a series of intentional, bite-sized actions. Each spoonful counts. Each bite adds up. Before you know it, what once felt overwhelming becomes something you’ve already begun — and something you can absolutely finish.

  1. We Get Lost in Perfection

Do you hesitate to send something out because it isn’t “perfect”? Do you spend excessive time polishing work that is already more than good enough? Perfection is seductive — and it’s a brilliant disguise for procrastination. Here’s the truth: very good is often more valuable than perfect.

The difference between the two usually lives in the last 20% of effort — effort that rarely delivers meaningful return. Think of every tech company you know: they release imperfect updates all the time, because momentum matters more than flawlessness.

Excellence moves you forward. Perfection keeps you stuck.

  1. We Don’t Know How to Relax

For years, culture rewarded constant motion. Busy equaled important. If we weren’t doing, we weren’t valuable. Thankfully, that narrative is shifting — but we’re not sure what to replace it with. When I ask clients what they do to relax, I often hear a list of tasks:

    • I should read more
    • I should exercise more
    • I should organize the house

Those are activities, not rest. They’re doing, not being.

Real restoration happens when we quiet the shoulds and reconnect with what soothes us. Ask yourself:

    • What restores me?
    • What helps me exhale?
    • When do I feel like myself again?

For some it’s journaling. For others, it’s music, nature, or yes — a bubble bath. Relaxation is not a reward you earn. It’s a requirement you deserve.

Your Holiday Plate, Your Rules

These are trying times. The world is loud. Expectations are high. But satisfaction shows up when we choose — deliberately — what belongs on our plate.

So this season, ask yourself:

  • What nourishes me?
  • What satisfies me?
  • What deserves space on my plate?

My wish for you is simple: may you fill your holiday plate with what feeds your soul — not just your schedule.

🎁 A Gift That Brings More Joy Than Stuff

My book Productivity for How You’re Wired  makes a thoughtful, meaningful holiday gift — for a friend, a colleague, a family member, or for yourself. It helps readers understand their personal productivity wiring and create systems that actually work for them. Give a gift that lasts longer than the holiday season — one that creates clarity, confidence, and ease. Available on Amazon in print, eBook, and audio.

Ready to Begin the New Year Feeling Satisfied? January is my busiest coaching season, and a powerful time to reset your habits, clarify your priorities, and build systems that support who you want to be. I’d love to support you. Schedule a January Discover Call spot now — before they’re gone.

30 Jun

Posted at 11:24h in Planning Tools, Productivity, Stress Management, Time Management, Tips for Easier Living

Ever stand in front of the fridge wondering what to make for dinner, only to give up and snack on crackers? Or scroll Netflix for so long you run out of time to actually watch something? It’s frustrating—and oddly common.

Here’s why: it’s not that you’re indecisive or lazy. It’s decision fatigue, and it’s draining your brainpower, making even the smallest choices feel surprisingly difficult.

One of my high-performing clients—smart, successful, and productive—once told me that the thing he and his partner argued about most wasn’t money or chores. It was what to order in for dinner.

At the end of the day, they were both exhausted. They’d scroll through endless restaurant options, debate what sounded good, get frustrated, and end up ordering late—or worse, not eating at all. That small daily choice became a major source of friction.

I suggested they make a simple list: five favorite takeout places and their top two orders from each. The result? Instant relief. They ordered faster, ate earlier, weren’t hangry, and most importantly, enjoyed their evenings together instead of wasting time figuring out what to eat. One little system turned a daily pain point into something easy—and even enjoyable.

That’s the magic of simplifying small decisions.

Decision Fatigue Is Real

Some studies estimate we make over 35,000 decisions a day—most of them small and forgettable. What to wear. What to eat. What to tackle first. Each one chips away at your mental energy.

And when your brain is tired, even “easy” decisions feel hard. You overthink. You second-guess. You procrastinate. Or you avoid the choice altogether and just do nothing (hello, standing in front of the fridge again).

The problem? All of that mental clutter spills into your personal time. You end up feeling frazzled, behind, and drained—even when nothing major went wrong.

Make the Easy Decisions Easy

You don’t have to overhaul your life. Just start by creating defaults—shortlists of pre-approved, go-to options that remove friction from your day.

Here are four areas where this can make a big difference:

1. What to Make for Dinner

Instead of reinventing the wheel every night, build your own personal menu of favorite meals. Keep your two go-to recipes from key categories—like poultry, seafood, vegetarian, meat, entrée salads, and hearty soups—in a folder, binder, or electronic file. That way, when it’s time to plan dinner, you can flip through your curated favorites and quickly pick something you’ll actually enjoy cooking and eating.

You don’t need a hundred recipes—just a dozen or so that you know and love. This makes meal planning easier and helps you avoid that overwhelmed, “I don’t know what I feel like” feeling at the end of a long day.

2.  Ordering In

Like my client, make a list of your favorite delivery spots and go-to orders. Save them in your food delivery app, jot them in your notes, or put them on the fridge. When you’re tired and hungry, this saves time, energy, and potential tension.

 3. What to Watch

Keep a “watch next” list in your streaming app or phone. When you finally sit down to relax, you don’t want to waste half the evening browsing. Make the decision once, and keep a short list ready to go.

 4. What to Read

Create a running to-read list so that when you finish one book, the next one is already lined up. You’ll read more, feel less decision fatigue, and avoid the rabbit hole of reviews and recommendations when you just want to enjoy a story.

 This Isn’t About Being Rigid

You can still try new restaurants, cook new meals, and discover new shows. But when you’re tired or low on brainpower, your defaults have your back. Think of these lists as your brain’s personal assistant—quietly saving you from unnecessary stress. Let’s keep the easy decisions easy… and free up your energy for what matters most.

Ready to Simplify More? If you’re feeling stuck in the weeds of daily decision-making, I can help. Through one-on-one coaching, I work with professionals and leaders like you to cut through the clutter, align your productivity with how you’re wired, and create systems that actually stick. Want more strategies like this? My book,  Productivity for How You’re Wired, is packed with real-life tools and ideas—and it’s available now on Amazon.

05 Jun

Posted at 19:22h in Organize to Thrive, Planning Tools, Productivity, Stress Management, Time Management

To Do List Magic

We all know we should occasionally organize our closets, and kitchens, and paper piles, but have you ever considered giving your To-Do or Task List a thorough reorganization? The results can be just as transformational. 

Before becoming a Productivity Coach, I spent years as a Professional Organizer, helping clients clear physical clutter. I discovered that truly lasting results come from a deliberate, step-by-step process:

  1. Remove EVERYTHING from the space (or section).
  2. Make intentional decisions about what to do with each item. Organizing expert Judith Kolberg introduced the concept of sorting items into three categories: friends, strangers, and acquaintances.
    • Friends go BACK into the space
    • Strangers are donated, recycled, or discarded
    • Acquaintances go into a holding zone (storage — just in case) or are returned if there’s room 

Making intentional choices about every single item—and being VERY purposeful about what occupies your valuable space—is genuinely MAGICAL. I can tell you if I go to organize my junk drawer (or any space) and open the drawer and ask myself – is there anything here that should go, I get an average result that lasts a few weeks or months. However, if I remove everything – and deliberately return the things-that-really-matter, my organization lasts a good year or more.  Try it – it’s amazing how effective it is!

But do we do this with our To DO Lists?  It’s tempting to stick with our usual weekly reviews, but just as our physical spaces benefit from an annual deep re-org, your digital or paper task list deserves the same attention. I recently did a full Task List overhaul myself, and here’s how I did it:

  1. I keep my Task List on a Google Sheet (as discussed here.)
  2. I made a backup copy, just in case.
  3. I added a new column and transferred EVERYTHING from my Critical/Hot/Sooner/Later/Waiting lists into that column.
  4. Then, I sorted and redistributed each item back into the appropriate category.
  5. I also cleaned up my sub-lists—professional development, major purchases, blog ideas, tech tools, tasks in progress with my VA—and deleted many obsolete or unnecessary items.

The result? A clean, focused, manageable list that clearly highlights what’s most important. Removing clutter is not just liberating—it drastically reduces stress and increases clarity.

A few key insights:

  • Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Does that task advance your goals or support someone important? If not, is it worth your precious time?
  • When everything feels urgent or important, nothing truly is. Time is finite—every “yes” to the unimportant takes away from what truly matters.
  • As Brené Brown reminds us, feeling resentment often signals that a task should come off your list.
  • Remember: what was a priority last week or last month may no longer be relevant today. Priorities shift, and highly productive people are ruthless about removing unnecessary tasks.

So, what will you REMOVE today?

If you enjoy my blog, you’ll love the insights in my book, Productivity for How You’re Wired, available on Audible, in print, and as an ebook all on Amazon.

01 Oct

Posted at 15:04h in Productivity, Tips for Easier Living

The Value of Systems

Some people love systems, while others resist them. Have you ever asked yourself why you have a system in place? We utilize them so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel every single day.

Most people strive for efficiency. This helps clear time for the tasks that need to be done, while still leaving room for the things we want to do. A useful tool for increasing our efficiency is a well-designed system.

What do you have a system for?

  • Getting ready for bed
  • Getting dressed in the morning
  • Paying bills
  • Establishing children’s bedtimes

These everyday tasks involve numerous steps, yet we perform them so frequently that they become routine. Initially, we need to think through the process, but after repeating it enough times, it becomes automatic. This is the process of learning and integrating new systems and methods.

What systems would be beneficial for you to develop, practice, and execute often enough to become second nature? Here are a few of my favorites:

Planning Today’s Work

  1. I review my calendar, check my emails for anything new, and look at my task list for high-priority items. Then, I assess how much time I have available for work.
  2. Based on this, I determine my tasks for the day. Sometimes I jot them down on a sticky note; other times, I work directly from my task list. It’s perfectly fine if it varies from day to day.
  3. What helps me the most is having a curated list of priorities to focus on each day. I strive to include only the work I can realistically complete. On days when I do this, I am often amazed by how much I accomplish.

New Client Onboarding

  1. I open my master Getting Started document and customize it with the specific needs of the client. I then save the document with the client’s name.
  2. Next, I open an email and use a pre-written template saved in my signature. I update the email with the client’s name, start dates, and materials needed, and add a personalized greeting. I attach the Getting Started document.
  3. I enter the client’s email address, hit send, and I’m done! This entire process takes just five minutes. I’m a bit embarrassed to share how quickly I can do this—I want my clients to feel special. Most of the time, the effort lies in the personalization.

Weekly Meal Planning

  1. I keep a running grocery list. Whenever I use an item up or get close to finishing it, I add it to the list.
  2. Before heading to the store (or ordering groceries), I plan what I’ll cook or eat for the week.
    1. My breakfasts tend to be repetitive. As long as I have eggs, fruit, and the ingredients for oatmeal and granola, I’m set.
    2. For lunch, I prefer leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. I also keep tuna fish packets, salad ingredients, and sliced turkey breast on hand—this is usually all I need.
    3. I enjoy cooking dinner a few nights a week as it helps me make healthier choices and serves as a great creative outlet. First, I look at my calendar to determine how many nights I can realistically cook. Then, I select recipes accordingly—usually around three. I try not to overdo it to avoid wasting food. I browse my collection of recipes (which I often change) saved in a three-ring binder or flagged in a favorite cookbook and write down the necessary ingredients on my grocery list. If an item isn’t available, I can figure out a substitute on the spot.
  3. I cook! Knowing I have ingredients for a few different meals gives me the flexibility to whip up whatever I’m in the mood for. However, I make it a priority to prepare fresh fish the same day I buy it.

From these examples, you can see that developing a system can apply to nearly anything. I bet you have numerous systems in your life that you don’t even realize.

Stop Reinventing the Wheel Consider applying this approach to the areas that challenge you. Can you identify one task that frustrates you and that you struggle to complete? Do you have a system for it? Probably not. Can you create one? Likely. If you’re having difficulty, please comment below, and I’ll be happy to share some ideas to help you get started.

Coming Soon to Audible: Productivity for How You’re Wired, print, ebook, and soon as an audio book, available on Amazon.

09 Sep

Posted at 16:40h in Envision Success, Planning Tools, Productivity, Productivity for How You're Wired, Stress Management, Tips for Easier Living

The last year of blog posts has shared excerpts from my new book, “Productivity For How You’re Wired.” Today’s post is the final entry in the series and serves as the conclusion to the book. It is relevant to any change you want to make. In a couple of weeks, I’ll share a post with you that isn’t from my book. I’ve been collecting blog ideas, and I’m excited to share new content with you. Remember, you can review the book highlights anytime at ellenfaye.com/blog.  I hope you enjoy this last “book” post.

Making Change Stick: I know you are eager to bring more order, peace, and control to your life. However, if you are serious about real change, you can’t rush the process. Quick fixes don’t deliver sustainable results.

I once heard a speaker say that when you change one thing at a time, you have a 90% chance of success. If you change two things at once, your chance of success declines to 63%. I haven’t been able to source this data, however, the concept makes sense. If you put your attention toward one thing, you end up with results. If you spread yourself too thin, you’re often left with nothing to show.

When I work with my clients, we start with one thing at a time. First, we consider the topic, then we study what has worked for them in the past in similar circumstances. We then strategize and come up with a plan. After that, my client will spend the time between our sessions to experiment and practice. They come back and we discuss what worked, what didn’t work, and where we need to tweak. We keep practicing and tweaking until it works and is integrated into their routines.

As you’re evaluating your own productivity and how you’re wired, keep in mind that focusing on one change at a time will drive results. Getting you from where you are to where you want to be is a process.

Integrate the change before adding something new — Keep your energy and focus on one new thing at a time. If you change too many variables at once you won’t know what made the difference. You are the experiment and you’re looking for your best solution. Observe and tweak. Work out the bugs and practice. When it feels comfortable, it is time to add another behavior change.

Understand the science — The brain learns through repetition. The 21-day habit theory has been disproven. The real science indicates the time it takes to create a new behavior is reflective of how often the neuropathways of that behavior are traveled in the brain. Think of a trail in the woods. If you take it occasionally, you’re fighting through new brush and undergrowth. But with frequent travel the path becomes clear and recognized. Brain scientists say nerve cells that fire together, wire together. The more you fire the cells and travel the path, the sooner the nerve cells will wire together and the sooner you will have integrated the new behavior.

Be kind to yourself — Set realistic goals and expectations. Backsliding (three steps forward, one step back) is completely normal. Keep yourself supported.

Be patient with yourself — Don’t undermine your success by rushing the process. It took years to create your habits. You’re not going to undo them in a week. Lasting change is a process. Give it the time and commitment you deserve.

This is from the conclusion of my new book Productivity for How You’re Wired available on Amazon. Many templates are included via the time tools link discussed in the book.