The Rundown

• Discipline isn't the most common habit among people with self-control, says bestselling author—here's what is

• ChatGPT SEO: How to Show Up in ChatGPT Responses

• "Emergency" Productivity: How to be productive despite urgent or unexpected events

• One Android setting fixed how I deal with my notifications

• I tried Google's CC productivity agent in Workspace, and it's the personal assistant I can't afford

• Getting Started with Cowork

👉Did you miss an issue? Check out previous Productivity Stacks issues anytime here

Sponsor

When I first tried Shortform, I thought "okay, another way to skim books faster." Nothing wrong with that! But that's not really what it is.

What makes it different:

They do the research for you

• Cross-references claims with other sources

• Flags when research doesn't hold up

• Shows you different perspectives on the same topic

• Saves you from reading books that sound good but aren't

Let’s be real – lots of gurus claim lots of things…but Shortform will tell you if that claim has been debunked or if there's newer research that contradicts it. 

The format really works

• Structured so you can scan and find what you need

• Not just a condensed version you have to read start to finish

• Easy to jump to the parts that matter to you

How I use it:

• Vetting books before I commit time to reading them

• As my notes for books I've already read and loved

• Quick refreshers when I need to remember key concepts

• Checking claims for obvious debunking or robust scientific support

The part that surprised me: Their contributors often add the exact insights and connections I would have made myself. It's like they share my brain, but they did the work. 

Right now just for you guys: $50 OFF the annual plan by using https://shortform.com/express

🔥Quote/Prompt

Use the quote as a writing or thinking prompt to finish your week strong.

A bit from mine:

(posted in our Doer Entrepreneurs Free Community — off social media)

Did someone forward this to you?

📈 Performance

Discipline isn't the most common habit among people with self-control, says bestselling author—here's what is

Those negative thought patterns that seem to run on repeat in your brain aren't a willpower problem. This insight from James Clear's appearance on "The Mel Robbins Podcast" flips the script on how we think about self-control entirely.

Key Insights:

1. Self-control isn't about resisting temptation – it's about avoiding it entirely by designing your environment strategically. For example, not keeping snacks in your office means you never have to use willpower to resist them.

2. Your social circle is part of your environment. If your friends regularly put you in situations that derail your goals, you don't need to cut them off – just be strategic about when and how you spend time with them.

3. Positive self-talk isn't just feel-good advice – it's a practical tool that reduces the stress of habit changes and prevents you from quitting after one slip-up, such as telling yourself your efforts will pay off rather than spiraling into self-criticism.

Read the full article for Clear's specific examples of environmental design and the Mayo Clinic research on how attitude affects stress management during habit changes.

⚙️ Optimization

ChatGPT SEO: How to Show Up in ChatGPT Responses

Your potential clients are asking ChatGPT for recommendations in your industry, and if your business isn't showing up in those responses, you're missing opportunities. This breakdown from Semrush reveals the specific steps to get your brand cited by AI tools while simultaneously improving your traditional search rankings.

Key Insights:

1. Getting indexed properly in both Bing and Google is foundational since ChatGPT uses these search engines to find content. Use Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console to submit sitemaps and fix indexing issues that prevent AI tools from finding your pages.

2. Structure matters more than you think for AI extraction. Use descriptive headings that match actual questions people ask, keep paragraphs short and focused, and format information with bullet points and numbered lists that ChatGPT can easily pull from.

3. Target backlinks from sources ChatGPT already cites frequently in your industry. Ask ChatGPT questions your customers would ask, note which sites it references most often, and prioritize getting links or mentions from those specific publications.

Read the full article for the complete technical setup process, including IndexNow integration, and how to use Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit to track your ChatGPT performance over time.

⏲️ Time Management

"Emergency" Productivity: How to be productive despite urgent or unexpected events

Running your own business means dealing with things that feel like emergencies constantly. The problem isn't the unexpected issues themselves – it's that treating everything like a crisis means you're always in reaction mode instead of running your business intentionally. This framework helps you handle urgent situations without derailing your actual priorities.

Key Insights:

1. Ask yourself what actually happens if this isn't fixed today before you drop everything. For example, a website being down might feel urgent, but if current clients have other ways to reach you and you're not actively acquiring new customers through that site, it's not truly high priority.

2. Schedule the fix based on its actual priority rather than its emotional intensity. Compare the emergency against what's already on your calendar and only reschedule items that are genuinely lower priority – not just easier to move.

3. Use chat support instead of phone for tech issues so you can knock out mindless tasks during the inevitable wait times. You can also send screenshots or screen recordings through chat, which saves the frustration of trying to describe technical problems over the phone.

Read the full article for the complete four-step framework and how to challenge yourself to resist emotional reactions even when anxiety is high.

💻 Tools & Technology

One Android setting fixed how I deal with my notifications

Constant notification pings throughout your workday aren't just annoying – they're actively destroying your ability to focus on the work that actually matters. This feature on Google Pixel phones uses AI to filter the noise and surface what's actually important, without requiring you to manually manage every app's settings.

Key Insights:

1. Context-aware quick replies save time without opening apps. For example, when someone asks "Are you on your way?" the feature suggests responses like "On my way" or "Running late" directly in the notification, which is particularly useful when you're in the middle of focused work.

2. Automatic prioritization means health, security, and urgent personal messages stay at the top while promotional and social notifications get pushed down. This happens without you having to manually configure each app's notification settings.

3. The feature takes about one minute to enable in Settings > Notifications > Enhanced Notifications, but its impact builds gradually as it learns your notification patterns rather than making a dramatic immediate change.

Read the full article for step-by-step setup instructions with screenshots and detailed examples of how the feature shows up across different apps like WhatsApp and Google Messages.

🤖 AI

I tried Google's CC productivity agent in Workspace, and it's the personal assistant I can't afford

Managing email as a small business owner means important deadlines and client requests get buried under promotional noise and spam. Google's CC agent flips the script by proactively sending you daily briefings that surface what actually matters – without you having to dig through your inbox.

Key Insights:

1. CC sends autonomous daily briefings called "Your Day Ahead" that identify action items, upcoming events, and important emails – then suggests specific next actions like replying to a colleague or adding an event to your calendar. You can customize what appears in these briefings by simply replying with instructions.

2. The agent integrates across Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive to connect information across platforms. For example, it might surface a deadline from an email alongside the related document in Drive and the calendar event you scheduled for it.

3. You can email CC directly anytime at [your username]+[email protected] to ask questions, have it search your information, or get summaries – making it work both as a proactive assistant and an on-demand chatbot for your business data.

Read the full article for the complete signup process, availability details for Google AI subscribers, and specific examples of how CC's daily briefings work in practice.

🎉 Celebration Corner

Every week Doers Inner Circle members do a weekly review & get help when they need it — check out the progress they made this week!

• Good earnings from billable work.

• Am up to date with daily-weekly tasks outside of billable work.

What did you do this week? We feature non-member successes too. Just post them here!

🔒Inner Circle: Events & Announcements

• On-going Challenge: Doers Routine Bucket Challenge Join here

• Monday: {EU Time} Work ON Business. Theme: 5️⃣ Finances  RSVP here

• Tuesday: Work ON Business. Theme: 5️⃣ Finances RSVP here

• Monday/Friday: Goal Setting + Plan Your Week Party

• Accelerators: January 30 is your Monthly Goal Setting Workshop  RSVP here

🆕Enjoy the new newsletter?

We will soon be adding Referral Perks — Refer now to start earning! 👇

As a reminder, you’re getting this twice-weekly newsletter because you opted in to receive awesome productivity and systems tips through one of these methods:

Doer Entrepreneurs, Doers Express Newsletter, Productivity Stacks, Success by Rx, ClickUp Facebook Group, Productive & Successful Translators Facebook Group.

If you’re not interested in improving your and your business’s productivity so you’d like to break up, that’s definitely a bummer. But, you can always use the unsubscribe link at the bottom if you do not want to get these tips — but keep in mind I am hyper-focused on making these twice-weekly emails as valuable as possible.

Got a tip? Hit reply!

I hope you found this valuable!

Wishing you much productivity!

- Jenae :)