Note on last week’s email: the app I shared does have encryption and their servers don’t read your content - however if you’d like to understand cognitive distortions to analyze your journals yourself (instead of using the app), check out this article.
“I’m so tired of living like this. Look at all these notebooks for my to-do list, my time blocking, and my ideas…they’re all empty.”
This wasn’t the first time I heard those words.
Even though they were spoken by someone else,
I felt like I was looking into a mirror at my past self.
5 years ago, I felt so scattered and overwhelmed:
Unable to keep up with all my tasks, doing so much but so little at the same time
Feeling pressured to be productive all the time
Feeling guilty whenever I rested or hung out with friends
I’m not saying I’m perfect now.
I still feel scattered and chaotic sometimes.
But the difference is that I no longer feel like it’s a bad thing.
Which means I’m more likely to cheer myself on and stay consistent.
After implementing these systems to be kinder to myself, I:
Stayed consistent posting for 3-6 months before going viral
Went from spending 5% → 10% of my time with friends - leading to a huge increase in my happiness
Had more time to live life outside of work and productivity - exploring hobbies like running, drawing, and learning languages
It was the same for my students:
Stayed consistent journaling for 2 years
Finally figured out the blockers keeping them stuck
Started posting every day
So what was the system?
Example: daily posting systems
Some clients of mine were struggling with content creation.
It was just so overwhelming…they had:
a 62-paged research document with scripts, b-roll, and scene direction
A full list of filming ideas
Misconceptions about content creation (content research, niche, all these complicated admin and prep tasks)
So the first week, we tried building a system:
Daily reminders to post from a list of content ideas
Having a habit tracker app to keep a streak (we counted the bare minimum action - posting an IG story)
Me texting them lots of encouragement
Me filming with them - body doubling
However, by the second week…
It was clear that it wasn’t working as expected.
Yes, everyone posted consistently (they didn’t wanna let me down).
But how it felt was different:
Overwhelming
Guilty / ashamed
Fear (of the unknown - what happens after posting?)
Frustrated (takes too long to edit videos)
So what did we do?
Example: diagnosing the blocker
I asked them: what’s the blocker?
Why does it feel so hard to do this habit?
Here’s what they shared:
They got overwhelmed by the list of content ideas to pick from
There were too many different things to do, it felt chaotic
Too much flexibility and choice in what to do = scattered
With this information, we were able to design even better systems:
1 (and only 1) daily video concept to create (instead of a list to pick from), due by end of day
1 main task or project to do by day
Delegating tasks (I helped edit and schedule videos)
This doesn’t mean the first week was a waste.
It built a lot of confidence and self-trust,
Showing them they can follow through on their promises to themselves.
But the important thing is that we saw what wasn’t working and took steps to improve,
Instead of feeling like the system was a “failure.”
So how can you create systems?
Here are the main principles behind every habit and productivity system I create:
MVA (minimum viable action)
CARR (cue, action, reward, reflection)
So every day, I know I have until nighttime (deadline) to get all my habits and work done.
But instead of being overwhelming, it’s fun:
I do the bare minimum version, like read 1 page or practice piano for 5 min
I see the cue (habit tracker app on my phone, checklist on my laptop) all the time to remind me
When I take action on the habit, it feels rewarding (cuz I get to check it off the list and there are pretty colours and cool buttons)
If something feels difficult for me to do every day (like I’m punishing myself by doing it), then I reflect on why and how I can improve it
Sometimes, the reflection is just “oh I keep picking up my phone when I’m supposed to work, let me put it behind my laptop so it’s out of sight, out of mind.”
Or “I keep checking my notifications even though I didn’t get any new messages, I should schedule all my notifications to be delivered at 12pm and 7pm only, so when I check there’s nothing there and I get so bored I do something else.”
There are so many more tricks I use, all backed by psychology (what I studied in school).
It’s exactly what’s covered in my upcoming ADHD productivity systems course about tracking your life,
Because I really think tracking stuff changes my behaviour.
If you’re interested in learning my systems, just click waitlist in the poll below!
Interested in a life tracking course?
Til next time,
Jennifer
P.S. one of the systems + tools I’m currently obsessed with is Typeless - the best free voice to text productivity tool I've ever tried (and I've tried a lot).
Check it out and let me know what you think! I emailed them so many times asking them to sponsor me cuz I was such a fan lol
These are what ppl told me after trying:
