The Rundown

• Neuroscience Says 4 Brain Workouts Will Improve Your Memory and Make You Mentally Stronger

• Influence Maps—The Best Marketing Framework You’ve Never Heard Of

• A Psychologist Explains How To Beat ‘Perfectionism-Procrastination’

• The Best Google Docs Keyboard Shortcuts for Boosting Your Productivity

• Add this book to your reading list

⌛72 Hours Left: Double Your Productivity in 1 Week

Sounds crazy, I know. Which is why I don’t understand why there aren’t more courses and info on this topic.

Especially because the last thing you want to do when you are crazy busy and another client is breathing down your neck is ADD something to your to-do list like make a plan, etc. right?

That’s why this is so powerful because it’s ONLY stuff you DON’T do.

It has to do with taking control of your brain’s automation that are happening anyway.

It could change your life — it changed mine.

Don’t know me?

Hey there, I’m your Productivity Express Newsletter author, Jenae and I am a Productivity & Systems Strategist and I first created sustainable success for myself as a solopreneur working part-time hours and I’ve now helped countless others do the same.

What if you could save half your time next week? What if it was just a few hours that you could spend with your kids, your partner, or hell, just watching Netflix guilt free?

Join us here. You won’t regret it.

-Jenae 💪

🔥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

Neuroscience Says 4 Brain Workouts Will Improve Your Memory and Make You Mentally Stronger

We all know we need to (or should) move our muscles whether it’s a gym session or just a walk in the park but likewise, our brains also benefit from intentional “ workouts” according to neuroscience. The article is worth the read with four brain “workouts” for you but we’ve chosen our favorite because it was the most surprising!

3. Use your non-dominant hand

This may be the most counterintuitive exercise on this list, but in his book Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness, neurobiologist Lawrence Katz suggests using your non-dominant hand to improve your brain's strength. Using your opposite hand can be challenging, I know, which is why it can be an excellent way to increase brain activity.

You can use your non-dominant hand while eating dinner or when you need to write down simple words or short sentences. Just like your physical workouts, the most effective brain activities may not be the easiest, so it's worth giving them a try to boost your mental agility.

Sponsor

Accomplish More. Juggle Less.

When you love what you do, it can be easy to take on more — more tasks, more deadlines, more hours – but before you know it, you don’t have time to do what you loved in the beginning. Don’t just do more – do more of what you do best.

BELAY’s flexible staffing solutions leverage industry experience with AI systems to increase productivity without sacrificing quality. You can accomplish more and juggle less with our exceptional U.S.-based Virtual Assistants, Accounting Professionals, and Marketing Assistants. Learn how with our free ebook, Delegate to Elevate, and leave the more to BELAY.

Download now

⚙️ Optimization

Influence Maps—The Best Marketing Framework You’ve Never Heard Of

We found this article in the process of a deep dive this week on content (because SEO these days, am I right?). It’s not brand new but it is incredibly relevant and my favorite part — based on science. Behavioral design science to be exact. Below is the helpful infographic from the article so you have a quick understanding of how this works. The article dives into the details on how you obtain the data listed as well as the science behind the map.

Sponsor

Looking for a job is lonely.

What if you could connect with dozens of local companies who are hiring right now, with just one connection? That’s Express Employment Professionals. One call. One application. And no fees, ever, for job seekers. One connection for endless job opportunities.

Sign up today

⏲️ Time Management

A Psychologist Explains How To Beat ‘Perfectionism-Procrastination’

I would say most a significant portion of our members suffer from this either occasionally or regularly. And it’s a huge issue for time management. And listen, I’ll be the first to say “focus on progress, not perfection.” But sometimes, that is easier said than done. What I love about this article is that it goes into more strategies on HOW to do that. Yes, below it does include the progress not perfection mantra, but the depth into WHY this behavior is happening and what to do about it might be just what you need to get you out of the perfectionism loop. Check the full article for more!

1. Resolving The Identity Crisis

A 2017 study published in Personality and Individual Differences indicates that procrastination arises when a significant disparity exists between our perceived abilities and actual capabilities. This struggle unfolds as a conflict between our ideal self, representing who we believe we should be, and our actual self, embodying who we are.

To transform your perspective from believing “Perfect work is expected from me” to realizing that “what I do is enough and my worth comes from being my authentic self,” it’s essential to explore the underlying reasons for your pursuit of perfection.

Here are three ways to reflect on your identity and begin to shift your beliefs:

1. Find the roots. Pause to contemplate the origins of your expectation for perfection. It may have been shaped by how love and approval were expressed in your upbringing, possibly causing you to internalize this expectation. Explore why the need for perfection is so deeply ingrained in you and remain open to the possibility of discovering a more authentic perspective through introspection. Seeking assistance from a therapist or mental health professional can be immensely beneficial in uncovering and addressing the underlying causes behind your perfectionist-procrastinator tendencies. Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have been proven techniques for eradicating perfectionism-related concerns in individuals.

2. Seek feedback. Try to see yourself as others do. People often judge themselves more harshly than they judge others. Perhaps your work is indeed significant, meeting high standards, yet you fail to acknowledge your achievements. There’s no merit in chastising yourself for work that others consider excellent. Seek second opinions from trusted advisors; their feedback can be your anchor.

3. Progress over perfection. While pushing boundaries is essential, not letting your inner critic sway you is vital. Rather than dwelling on past standards, focus on continuous improvement. Avoid tethering yourself to unrealistic ideals; instead, strive for growth and advancement. Shift your focus from seeking perfection in the initial attempt to valuing incremental progress. Recognize that each effort and every addition matters, and each mistake brings you closer to improvement.

💻 Tools & Technology

The Best Google Docs Keyboard Shortcuts for Boosting Your Productivity

If you are a regular Google Docs user you might be familiar with Ctrl+Shift+V to paste without formatting, but this article goes so much deeper and shortcuts like these can save us all a ton of time. There are 16 in total and they’re provided for both Mac and PC! Below are 3 of our favorites!

Get the Word Count

Press Ctrl+Shift+C or Cmd+Shift+C to bring up the total word count, page count, and character count. Check the box on the dialog to have these permanently displayed.

Create Lists

Keep Ctrl+Shift or Cmd+Shift held down on the keyboard, and you can then create a numbered list by tapping 7, a bulleted list by tapping 8, and a checklist by tapping 9.

Commenting on Documents

There are a few keyboard shortcuts you can use when a comment is selected: R to reply to it, J and K to move up and down through comments, E to resolve a comment, and U to exit a comment.

Sponsor

Demo BILL and choose your gift

Book your demo of BILL Spend & Expense to see how easy it can be to control overspending, help prevent fraud, and automate your financial operations.

Then, choose an exclusive gift—a Nintendo Switch, Apple AirPods Pro, Samsung 50" TV, or Xbox Series S.¹

Request a demo

_{¹Terms and Conditions apply: See offer page for more details.
Card issued by Cross River Bank, Member FDIC, and is not a deposit product.}

👀 Read, Watch, Listen

This week’s awesome books, YouTube videos, newsletters, etc. to add to your list!

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World  (Book)

In "Deep Work," Cal Newport argues that the ability to focus intensely on cognitively demanding tasks is a valuable skill in today's economy. Deep work enables faster mastery of complex information and superior results. Newport divides the book into two parts: first, he contends that cultivating deep work produces significant benefits in most professions; second, he offers a four-rule training regimen to transform habits and support deep work. These rules are: work deeply, embrace boredom, quit social media, and drain the shallows. Combining cultural criticism and practical advice, the book features memorable anecdotes and unconventional recommendations to guide readers seeking focused success in a distracted world.

🔒Inner Circle: Events & Announcements

• Announcement: Wonky Week starts Monday! (Events are 9 AM PT, 4 PM London, 5 PM Europe) Info here

• Monday: Do 8 Hours of Work in 4: Double Your Productivity in 1 Week Action Booster Sprint! RSVP here

• Monday: {EU Time} Work ON Business. Theme: 2️⃣ Process & Productivity RSVP here

• Tuesday: Work ON Business. Theme: 2️⃣ Process & Productivity RSVP here

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

• Accelerators: Nov 1 is your Office Hours 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 :)