Productivity for the Female Brain (Why you haven't cracked the productivity code...)
Productivity For The Female Brain
Overwhelm is the number one culprit to non-action.
If you're finding yourself not getting enough done, you've probably been overwhelmed by something in your life latelyβ¦
And guess what...that's okay.
It's ok to feel overwhelmed, and it's ok that you may not be getting a lot done as a result.
You're not going to die β Take a deep breath with me....
I know something special about the female brain that not a lot of people know:
Most productivity philosophies, systems, and planners were made with the male brain in mind.
What that means is that there's nothing wrong with you when you can't figure out how to use someone else's prodcutivity system (or can't stick to it...)
It means you haven't yet figured out how you need to work to be your most productive.
This is good news.
This sets us on a new trajectory to figuring out how YOU need to work.
I'll take it even further, this isn't about getting things done...
This is about learning.
π I went to Montessori school in Kindergarten and I remember that being the most free I've felt my whole childhood. I still know the ABCs in sign language because of how fun and expansive this learning experience was.
π In high school they started letting me choose my courses electives, and I remember that being the greatest day of my young adult life. I thought to myself "Oh my gosh, the POSSIBILITIES are endless!" My enthusiasm for it was really special π
π In college I chose design school. I designed every single aspect of those 8 years, including getting real life industry experience while I was attending school, and I'm so grateful for that.
These education styles were the best decisions ever because they allowed me to pick and choose the ways I wanted to learn, and if I wanted to pivot a way I was learning, I was free to do that.
πͺπΌ Today, I'm a member at a gym that has a room and a machine for everything, the machines are tightly packed in every room, and you often can't find anything unless you go looking for it for 10 minutes.
THIS is my kind of gym. It stimulates my mind and has me thinking about the endless possibilities of what I can do in there. It's organized chaos, it's a blank canvas, it reminds me of Montessori school, and I love it.
Let's go back to men vs women and how we are uniquely productive:
Men learn with a single-focus awareness. One thing at a time. They're hunters.
Women learn with a diffuse-awareness. Several things at a time. We are gatherers.
If we suck at learning it's because we're trying to learn something someone else's way, with someone else's system.
I'll get into learning and productivity systems in another newsletter...but the goal today is to declare that we are incredible learners, we just need to figure out how we need to learn.
I want you to take a moment and write down a few things you're learning right now, just to get it out on paper. I bet this will cause less overwhelm for you once you've done this...I'll write a few examples for myself...
What I'm learning right now:
π How to write better
π How to speak on stages
π How to stop when I'm rollerblading
π How to be a more present friend
π How to hear God's voice better
π How to create mind/muscle connection when I'm in the gym
π How to grocery shop in an efficient way
π the list goes on...
It's also amazing to celebrate some things we have learned:
π I learned how to put up healthy boundaries in my relationships
π I learned how to sing on stage at church
π I learned how to track my food macros
π I learned how to start and finish a workout program in my gym
π I learned how to keep my apartment clean all the time
π I learned how to make $10,000 per month, twice this year
π the list goes on!
The last thing I'll say, if you've been telling yourself that you're overwhelmed and you're a crappy learner, you're going to be overwhelmed and be a crappy learner.
Would you tell your child that they're a crappy learner and they need to figure out how to walk faster?
Absolutely not π₯Ή
Now is the opportunity to declare that you are, in fact, a good learner...and I want you to promise yourself you'll find better (more fun ways) to learn the things you're currently learning.
This is how to fix your productivity "problem".
I'll see you in next Saturday's newsletter,
Lauren
PS: My Saturday letters will start to get longer, more juicy and filled with stories thatβll help you grasp the concepts Iβll be sharing with you. This newsletter was practice (since Iβm learningβ¦) π₯°