Where does productivity come from? Planning our day the night before? Having solid routines? Having a beautiful and well-maintained planner?  Those things are all important, but they aren’t necessarily going to make you more or less productive. What are the differences between productive people vs. less productive people? To begin this podcast, I want to offer grace and understanding for those of you in phases of life where you have very little or no control over your productivity (such as a medical diagnosis, depression and active parenting years). I’ve been where you are and I know that these are all very real constraints. Productivity comes from being in control of your time. In order to do this, you need to observe YOURSELF. Look at your day and pay close attention to your energy levels - physically, mentally and emotionally. Become curious about yourself. What makes you more or less energetic? How can you extend periods of productivity? How can you unlock more of your time? In this episode, which is part one of a four-part series, I discuss the very first steps I took in my transformative journey to becoming my most productive self. I didn’t just wake up one day with the energy and capacity to be the CEO of Organize 365® while also getting my PhD. This was a long journey. The first step in this journey was a wake-up call for me. I realized no one is coming to save me. If it’s going to be, it’s up to me. This realization led me to quit my job and other habits that were draining my energy on all levels. Through this series you can follow along on my productivity journey and learn how I had to take total ownership of my life. Productive people are obsessed with knowing what things make them more or less productive, from their diet choices to the amount of sleep they are getting.  A big part of my transformation was looking at the purpose of the things I was trying to do. Productivity is not just about getting more done, it’s about doing things that matter, knowing why you’re doing them and doing them with a sense of calm. Want to instantly boost your productivity? Here are two questions you can start asking yourself to be more productive starting today: What’s one thing I can do right now? Keep moving forward. Even if you are only taking one step at a time. When you feel “stuck” ask yourself, what’s the next step that I can do right now. Do I have 15 more minutes? True productivity is not a check mark on a checklist - it’s a completed project. When you are working on something and running out of time, don’t be afraid to spend extra time to complete the project, especially if it will save you time in the future. EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Friday Workbox® Brooke Castillo and Kris Plachy Podcast Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!