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Hi Reader,

“Every single day, you are actively sabotaging your wellness, your performance and your relationships.”

Shirzad Chamine, Author

Pretty strong words, right? But many of us are sabotaging ourselves without even realizing it.

Why? Because instead of running our own minds, we let our minds run us.

I often have a little voice in my head that says, “You’re terrible at presentations.”

Or even worse, “You’re doing a lousy job at managing this project.”

That voice feels convincing. But when I listen to it, my productivity, my confidence, and even my relationships take a hit.

So I finally told myself - how long am I going to let this little voice run the show?

Negative emotions aren’t always the enemy. In fact, when we learn how to handle them, they can make us more productive.

Hard to believe, right? How can negative self-talk work in our favour?

Emotional projects

I’ve felt it all being a project manager: frustration, stress, anger, shame, and disappointment. I've learned these negative emotions are simply an alert that something needs my attention.

The key is to notice the emotion without staying stuck in it. Instead, I shift this negative energy into tackling the challenge with empathy, curiosity, or focused action.

For example, I used to struggle with presentations. Rather than beating myself up, I took action. I practiced with a friend, colleague, or sometimes even in front of my teenage kids until I built confidence. I also joined a local Toastmasters group to help me get unstuck.

Sometimes managing projects felt overwhelming. In this case, I worked with trusted mentors and also enrolled in a project management program.

Or, perhaps, maybe you’re not in the right role at all. Working with a career transition coach could help you uncover the career that truly fits you.

A model of productivity

I've been recently learning about a body of research called the Positive Intelligence® training model by Shirzad Chamine, taught by my colleague ​​Nancy Shadlock in her Mental Fitness program.

Ultimately, this work is about getting out of your own way so you can actually get things done at work, at home, and everywhere in between. It’s about learning how to stop tripping over our own thoughts. For me, the best part is how quick and calming these techniques are.

They help me catch myself right in the act of, well, getting in my own way. Which ultimately makes me more productive.

Shirzad defines productivity as “maximizing the use of your mental and emotional energy to achieve your desired outcomes.”

This comes down to two things:

• First, making smarter choices about where you spend your time and energy, and with whom.
• Second, using that energy more effectively so you can get things done with less effort.

How do I know if it’s working? The telltale sign is ending my day feeling energized. If I’m running on empty, then that means I need to rethink what I’m doing and how I’m approaching it.

It’s funny how much easier life gets when you stop being your own biggest obstacle.

Give it a try, and you might just surprise yourself with how much more productive everything feels.

Read our testimonials

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