Amber de la Garza, aka the ‘Productivity Specialist,’ is a sought-after trainer, coach, speaker, writer, and she’s also the host of the ‘Productivity Straight Talk’ podcast. She works with entrepreneurs to help them take actions that will maximize profits, reduce stress, and ultimately make time for what matters most in life. Oh…and she’s also quite possibly as big of a productivity nerd as I am!
If you’ve ever heard the term ‘Time Blocking’ and wondered what the heck that is, or you’ve wondered how it works, or what the best tools are, or whether or not this productivity strategy will work for you, this episode could change the way you manage your day, your week, and your life.
I can say without hesitation that time blocking is quite simply the most important strategy I use to manage my own life. It allows me to visualize my ‘ideal week’ (something we dive into in great detail in this interview), it helps me avoid procrastination because I always know what tasks to complete on any given day, and most importantly it keeps me focused on taking actions that actually move my life forwards as opposed to getting sucked into “busy work,” and even worse…social media.
If you’re one of those people who believe, “Time blocking isn’t for me because I’m creative,” this episode is a must-listen. Because what you’ll discover is that learning how to properly manage your time and calendar will ultimately set your creativity free.
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Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- Scheduling your day according to your energy and ultradian rhythms
- The importance of “margins”
- Creating an ideal daily calendar
- The basics of time blocking and why it’s important according to neuroscience
- Asking yourself, “Can this wait without consequences?”
- Working on low value tasks in batches rather than sporadically as they “come up”
Useful Resources Mentioned:
Our Generous Sponsors:
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Guest Bio:
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Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of S.T.O.P.! The Entrepreneur’s Success Solution. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most!
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Zack Arnold
Zack Arnold (ACE) is an award-winning Hollywood film editor & producer (Cobra Kai, Empire, Burn Notice, Unsolved, Glee), a documentary director, father of 2, an American Ninja Warrior, and the creator of Optimize Yourself. He believes we all deserve to love what we do for a living...but not at the expense of our health, our relationships, or our sanity. He provides the education, motivation, and inspiration to help ambitious creative professionals DO better and BE better. “Doing” better means learning how to more effectively manage your time and creative energy so you can produce higher quality work in less time. “Being” better means doing all of the above while still prioritizing the most important people and passions in your life…all without burning out in the process. Click to download Zack’s “Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Creativity (And Avoiding Burnout).”