Need some productivity tips? You’re in the right place!

Leslie Shreve is a workload management and productivity expert, and the Founder and CEO of Productive Day®. Leslie is also the creator of Taskology® The Science of Getting Things Done, a unique, proprietary, and all-encompassing system for workload management and productivity that includes the management of tasks, time, email, and information.

She shares her journey of starting her own business and how she pivoted from organizing to focusing on productivity. Leslie explains how she brought her natural efficiency into the corporate world and how it helped her excel in her career. 

She also breaks down unique proprietary system and provides insights on how it helps entrepreneurs and professionals gain back time and become more efficient.

You’ll leave this episode with new productivity tips to help you excel in your business and life!

Key Takeaways: 

• Efficiency and productivity can be developed from a young age and can be valuable skills in both personal and professional life.
• Task management, email management, and information management are key areas where inefficiencies can lead to time loss.
• Having a central location for task management, such as Outlook tasks or a digital task management tool, can help prioritize and plan tasks effectively.
• Efficient time blocking and prioritization can help gain back one to two hours in a workday.
• Passion and excitement for what you do are essential for long-term success in business.
• Seeking support and surrounding yourself with the right people can help navigate the challenges of starting and running a business.

Learn more about Leslie: 

Visit the Productive Day website

Follow her on Facebook

Follow her on Instagram

Connect on Linkedin

Subscribe on Youtube

Stay Connected with Self StartHER: 

Subscribe to the Self StartHER podcast for more inspiring episodes. 

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Transcript

Megan Tobler (00:01.186)
Leslie, I’m already fired up for today’s conversation. So thank you so much for joining the Self -Starter Podcast today.

Leslie (00:07.059)
Thank you so much for inviting me to be a guest. I’m looking forward to our conversation, Megan. Thanks.

Megan Tobler (00:11.488)
Me too. And honestly, I think I’m looking forward to this now more than ever in my life because I have had my head spinning with juggling being a relatively new mom and also building a business and trying to figure out how to manage everything in my day. So it’s just a topic that I’m really specifically interested in. And I know that our listeners are going to be extremely interested as well. So with that being said, I don’t want to spill the beans right away, but tell us a little bit more about yourself and

the company that you’ve built, Productive Day.

Leslie (00:41.929)
Sure. So Leslie Shreve, founder and CEO of Productive Day. And I’m the creator of a unique proprietary system called Tascology, the science of getting things done. And the system was born out of several years of working with clients in the very beginning, back in 2003. And it has evolved over the years. And I’m happy to share tips and strategies from Tascology today. It’s called Tascology, the science of getting things done.

And yeah, any questions you have about it, I’m ready to spill the beans, as you say.

Megan Tobler (01:16.46)
Yes, well, I definitely want all the beans spilled today. But first, I do want to go back into your childhood because everything that I’ve read on you, it sounds like you have been a naturally efficient person. So where did this love and desire for efficiency and productivity really birth, I guess?

Leslie (01:37.397)
I guess at birth because my mom used to tell stories when I was little and all through my teen years and then through my twenties and then she’d embarrass me sometimes of course. But I’ve always been this way. I’ve always been efficient and organized and productive. Of course my parents were very productive so.

Those who see my website understand the backstory of how they were really great with execution and planning ahead and feeling good about a job well done. They really modeled it very, very well. So I grew up always being engaged in some kind of work, know, good work ethic and kind of thing. So they led the path very well.

I think one of the funnier stories that I share is that when I was in grade school at some point, I might have even been a little older than that now that I think about it. I might have been 12 or 13. And I wanted to save time in the morning. And I went to a private school, so we had uniforms. And I told my mom, said, I want to put on my uniform and get dressed before I go to bed. So I’ll wake up already dressed.

And my mom probably laughed and thought, okay, go ahead. So she let me do that so I could save time in the morning. And I woke up completely wrinkled. And then of course that wouldn’t do because I wanted to go to school looking nice. And so I thought, yeah, that was a time saver but that wasn’t really good for quality. So I think I’ll let that go. But that was just one of my many ideas of how I could save time. And that one just didn’t work out. But I was always.

Megan Tobler (03:02.062)
adorable story.

Leslie (03:03.387)
I was always in that mode of wanting to save time and do things efficiently and stay organized and all of that. So it’s sort of a common thread that’s been through my whole life.

Megan Tobler (03:13.39)
I adore that. think that I can visually see that right now as you’re telling the story. actually go into your mom, telling her that you want to be efficient. You want to save a couple extra minutes in the morning, even though you already knew what you were going to wear. But then you wake up in the morning all wrinkled. And I can visually see almost a look of panic potentially. Like thinking my plan is just completely shot. Yeah, exactly.

Leslie (03:33.981)
Yes.

It’s falling apart, and now what do do?

Megan Tobler (03:40.558)
Now, I know that you really had dreams for going into corporate and you had a really great career there for 13 years. So how did you bring in your natural productivity and efficiency, like efficient ways into the corporate world?

Leslie (03:56.425)
Well, I guess with each of the jobs I had, and I was in the same career for 13 years, just in different places. So it was corporate material management, purchasing and contracting, mostly for healthcare. So I was in some of our local health systems around here in Baltimore, Maryland. And I suppose that being a good buyer or good contracts person is one who keeps all the details straight.

And when you’re shopping for MRI machines or Q -tips, it doesn’t matter which one, in the medical field, you really have to know your details. And you have to be able to have those conversations with vendors and your internal customers, which are everybody that works in the hospitals, to really make sure that you’re marrying up the needs with what the vendors provide. And there’s a lot of details to buying products and services and every little thing that they need to do their jobs. And I think that’s where the productivity kicked in.

because I was great at Excel spreadsheets, and cost benefit analyses, and just making sure that I was on top of all the details so that nothing was left out, asking all the right questions, and making sure that we had the right comparison for what we wanted to buy. And I think that’s where it shined through the most was, and of course, when you’re reading contracts, my goodness, your eyes would glaze over, just knowing how to get through that one step at a time and first things first, take it just a little at a time and you get through to the end and you’re done.

but you can’t be intimidated by some of those things because as my grandfather used to say, the only way to get it done is to do it.

Megan Tobler (05:25.964)
That’s a great quote that your grandfather had spot on there, but I’m listening to you and I’m thinking, gosh, I am not an Excel spreadsheet gal. That is one of my things. I use them, but that’s not my forte. I would say I’m pretty organized, but as far as spreadsheets, I’m thinking I need a Leslie in my life. And I’m sure a lot of people are thinking the same thing over here.

Leslie (05:44.262)
Turn around.

It’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

Megan Tobler (05:49.39)
No, but that’s why I think what the beauty of working in groups and teams and seeking help from someone like you, where it’s like we don’t all specialize in the same thing. And if we did, life would be boring. We need this versatility. Absolutely. Now, OK, so you said you worked in the medical space for those 13 years, different places, but relatively like the same career. At what point did you decide that

Leslie (06:00.591)
Whippy, right?

Megan Tobler (06:14.038)
you no longer wanted to continue in this corporate role and you actually wanted to break out and do something on your own.

Leslie (06:20.969)
Yes, that was around, let’s see, I graduated college, not to give away my age, in 1990. So I worked until 2003 and that’s when I started Productive Day. But when I started to feel restless, I was in my last corporate job that I had landed and I was so excited about this particular job because it was real big step up for me. I was originally in one of our health systems here in Baltimore where I was still actually in one of the major hospitals in the system.

on site doing all of the contracting and purchasing, et cetera. But when I got this next job and it was a step up, I went to a much larger corporate headquarters for a much larger health system that spanned the East Coast from Michigan to Florida. And so there were 10 times more hospitals in this health system. And I was managing all the cardiology, medical, surgical and nursing contracts for the entire health system. So I felt like I had made it. I thought, wow, this is it.

And I was promoted and got this particular job and thought, wow, this is the last job I’m ever gonna have. And I said that about two or three days in, I was sitting in my new office, which was fantastic. And here I am corporate headquarters completely removed from all the hospitals. It was just where all the C -suite people were and all the managers and directors and people like me. And I thought, boy, I’ve arrived. I got my Franklin Covey planner, got everything I need. And I literally said,

this is the last job I’m ever going to have. And I thought, I’m going to retire here because this is so fantastic. Well, come to find out about a year later, I started getting restless and I started thinking there has got to be more to life because I love what I do, but I, you know, they really work your heart at that particular headquarters. And, know, like, what’s the weather outside? What’s going on out in the world? You know,

And I felt a little stagnant, I guess. I felt like, well, this was fun and all, and it was good, and I was good at it, but I know I can do more, and I can serve other people doing something else, something that I can do naturally. And so about a year went by, and I read that book, Who Moved My Cheese, because a friend, no, my boss gave it to me, he’s now still my friend. And I read the book, and I thought, yeah, somebody’s definitely moved my cheese. And so I looked high and low for what I was gonna do next.

Leslie (08:34.025)
I looked everywhere. I tried all kinds of things. I hadn’t left yet and she knew I was looking, but it was, it was not like in earnest yet. It was just sort of shopping around. Like, what would I be good at? What would I love? And boy, did I pick some weird things. But anyway, so then I, you know, met up with a friend of mine and she told me about another friend who was a professional organizer. So not a lot of people know this, but this is how the business got started 21 years ago. And I thought that I would help people.

get organized in whatever location. Could be home, could be business, whatever. And I thought that getting out of the corporate space was really the ticket. I thought, yeah, then I can move around and I don’t have to sit all day and I can be active and help people. Well, I found out very, very quickly after I started the business, which still was a great idea, but I realized that homes not going to work for me. Not my thing, not my jam.

It’s really corporate where my heart has always been and I realized when I was working with the corporate folks in any size office Big or small I realized that helping people get organized was not the thing Because they could find or file something in three seconds or less whether it’s physical or you digital great That’s awesome But if you can’t dig out of email you’re in trouble, and if you can’t get the time you need to work on your most important projects

also in trouble on that one. And if you can’t gather and track and get a grip on all your tasks and responsibilities and then plan and prioritize them, well then you’re going to be even in more trouble. So when I started to see the gaps with my X -ray vision, I thought, aha, this is what I’m really meant to do. It’s not about getting organized. When you are more productive, that’s the key. And so I found out it’s more about efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity and making progress.

so that you’re not working nights and weekends and getting organized, it’s not gonna do that for you because that’s not even the tip of the iceberg. That’s not even step one. It’s like a byproduct. When you learn how to become more productive, yes, you’ll be organized anyway. So when I left corporate and started the business, I started with this one theme, but then it changed within about six months. I even changed the name of the company, I rebranded and it took forever for the rebranding, but it was a…

Leslie (10:47.209)
It was a process. It was worth it because here we are 20 years later and for most of that time it’s been about efficiency, productivity and progress.

Megan Tobler (10:56.558)
Isn’t it so interesting how the businesses that we create are something that’s already like innate in us, like that’s just an innate part of who we are. I think the most successful ones are where we take our natural born abilities and we just run with it. And not only does it help other people, but it clearly has lit you up to the point where you’ve been able to do this for 23 plus 20 plus years at this point. but I want to talk about,

Leslie (11:22.898)
Megan Tobler (11:26.43)
the point that you made when you were in corporate because you said you felt like you made it. You were potentially thinking about retiring there, never leaving. That’s a really big thing to think, especially in today’s day, to be able to go into a job and say, I’m going to retire there because that just doesn’t, for the most part, it doesn’t happen today, but it just showed you at that moment how much that meant to you that you received this title and that promotion.

But then a year later, everything was different.

Leslie (12:00.292)
It’s so weird. I think I’m part of that generation where my parents were part of that generation where you have a job and you stay for life because my dad was a black and Decker for more than 30 years and he was considered that kind of lifer and so that’s how I grew up knowing that about him and he was my inspiration for going into corporate and so

Megan Tobler (12:08.45)
Yep.

Leslie (12:21.511)
I still had that in the back of my mind and I loved my last job and I loved the people. I I really did love it, but something was speaking to me and I can’t explain it really, but it was just a gut feeling. Like I know there’s more to life. And so I think I just had to start looking. I had to listen to that inner voice.

Megan Tobler (12:40.364)
And I think that’s amazing that you did that, especially because you seem like you’re a very like a type A or in a great way, organized person to be able to not know what that is that you want to do. That must’ve been difficult. Yeah. I mean, I’m kind of going through that now where I’m, I wouldn’t say I’m totally type A, but I definitely have tendencies where I want to, I would like to know everything, but I have to also accept that I don’t know everything and to just.

Leslie (12:51.993)
that made me crazy.

Megan Tobler (13:08.248)
Like you said, listen to what you’re being guided to do. And I think I really liked the part of your story where you said you started with one business. You started with an organization business and you quickly realized that that’s not what people need. They don’t need to get organized. They can already be organized. They know where to find it if they need it, but they need to learn how to be more productive. And I liked that you were able to pivot.

and really switch directions with your business. it just shows that what you start with today isn’t what you need, isn’t what you necessarily have to do for the rest of your business. So at what point did you really realize that productivity was really where you wanted to focus your time and your attention?

Leslie (13:45.988)
That’s right.

Leslie (13:54.217)
Well, in those first six to 12 months, I guess I would say, when I realized that people weren’t organized and they had other issues, like it was more than that. So yes, it is difficult for people to understand how to get organized. I think what they don’t realize is that it’s so many other things that aren’t working at the same time.

So they’re having trouble with all of that and they just don’t know how to identify that. And because I was new, you know, just having started my business, I hadn’t put words to it yet either until I saw it. And then I could identify it and say, aha, these are the gaps that this person is really having. So the fact that they still needed help getting organized, what they needed to learn was that what’s really troubling you is that you’re having trouble with task management. You’re having trouble with email management. You’re having trouble with time management.

And then the information management part is the getting organized. So it is still part of our system. I just don’t do anything physically with that and not for 10 or 15 years, but I used to. I just don’t do it anymore because the C -suite leaders I work with right now, they don’t have a lot of paper. And that’s not where the biggest issues are. The biggest issue is task management. Because I tell people even email management is task management in disguise.

Megan Tobler (15:08.642)
Yeah, that’s good. And so when you first started and you said you were just kind of like observing, really seeing what people were struggling with, were the kind of the big gaps that you said that you really noticed right off the bat and ultimately led to you creating your proven system.

Leslie (15:22.269)
Yeah.

Leslie (15:26.857)
So what would happen is we would talk about what is on somebody’s desk. Let’s say their desk was buried and they’re feeling buried and they’re spinning their wheels in their workday. When I talk clients through the things that are on their desk, and actually I’ve been doing this virtually for probably more than 10 years, I think now, way before the pandemic, everything is virtual. So I’m really talking someone through.

what’s on their desk, whether there’s a little or a lot, because a lot of what’s there are left out as reminders of things to do. So what I discovered in the early days, way, back, was that when I was talking people through these things, that’s when we would discover those pieces of paper, those Post -it notes, those legal pads, all kinds of things left out as reminders of things to do. And so once you stack all that up and you see that little pile and you’re thinking, aha, there’s no way for task management here. There’s no…

There’s no system, there’s no method, there’s no app, there’s no software, there’s nothing. And they might say, well, this legal pad, that’s the way I do it. And so I’d find people with big pads, little pads, spiral pads, notepads, Post -it notes, and then whiteboards, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, you name it. They’re trying to use anything they can as a tool to keep track of things to do. And so when I kept seeing this time and time again, knowing that Microsoft Outlook was something that I had been using for those first 13 years.

and now I’ve been using it for 30 years, it’s the place where taskology rests. But it now rests anywhere, really. It’s just a methodology for your technology. So anybody who’s got any kind of other system like Google or Asana, Trello, Todoist, you name it, it can rest on those systems as well, because it’s a method of thinking and executing. So in the early days, when I saw that gap, that was the first one, was there’s no way to keep track of tasks and plan them and prioritize them. And then I recognized the email.

issue. And back then, of course, it had already been around for a decade or two. And, you know, it’s piling up. It just keeps burying people. And I thought, well, we need to teach them how to keep up with this because they’ve got hundreds or thousands in the inbox. And they say, Leslie, what do I do with all of this? So we need to work through that because email brings in not only tasks and follow ups, but it brings in events and opportunities, conversations, know, questions, you name it. It’s got all kinds of information, tons of information, attachments, contact information.

Leslie (17:47.419)
And so everybody’s sort of spinning going, what do I do with all of this? Because if you don’t have systems set up in your workday to handle that kind of information, you will quickly get buried and then stay buried. And that’s a problem for productivity.

Megan Tobler (17:59.822)
Well, that actually reminds me of my brother -in -law. We were just talking about this over dinner with my husband the other day. And my brother -in -law apparently has thousands of emails unopened in his inbox. And to me, that makes me cringe. That immediately gives me anxiety because I cannot even think about what, like, where do you even start for the day? Like, how do you prioritize what you’re going to do if you don’t know what you have to do and you have just all of these unopened emails?

Leslie (18:13.223)
Hahaha

Megan Tobler (18:29.422)
all the wonderful information like you were talking that you would be missing out on potentially. So the email thing is real. And I know that I’m calling him out, Colin, I’m sorry, but I’m calling him out because I think this is a real problem that we have today is that we’re inundated with spam. So it’s something that it’s even just getting through that is a task in itself. So.

I really want to dive into this taskology system that you’ve been able to create. Hold on, I to make sure that is taskology, right? Okay, just edit that out. Yeah, I really want to dive into the taskology and really break down how an entrepreneur as they’re setting up their business at the very beginning, how they can set up themselves, set themselves up with SIP systems that will really set themselves up for success.

Leslie (19:23.603)
Well, first, you’ve got to get through the legal stuff. And of course, I’m not in that area, not my wheelhouse. But you really want to make sure that you figure out the right type of business that you want to have, LLC, sole proprietorship, all that kind of stuff, and the accounting part. So those were the two things I started with way, back when, because I picked a name, even though that name has changed. And I knew that those two things were going to be primary, is the accounting part and the legal part.

Once you finish with that, then you want to get into whether you’re going to use something like QuickBooks or something else for your accounting for yourself or your expenses. And one of the most important things to do is understand whether you’re going to keep all of the receipts that you get for all the business that you do, whether that’s going to be physical or digital. That’s the first thing there. And then you’re going to want to make sure that you do have some kind of a system in place to keep track of all the many tasks.

that you have because when you first start a business, there’s just like a thousand things that you want to do. You know, there’s a thousand that you have to do, but then there’s a thousand you want to do and you have to be able to prioritize those. So pick a central location, a digital central location for keeping track of tasks. Now,

When I teach the system of taskology, 99 % of the time it’s gonna be an Outlook tasks, but I don’t use the default screens. I actually move things around. That’s why it’s proprietary. I teach a method that really is exclusive to just taskology and it can be anywhere, but once we put it in Outlook, it makes things so much easier. Now, if I put it in something like Todoist, it’ll look a little different, but it still acts the same. Whatever it is that you pick, remember that paper is not gonna be your best deal.

Paper is a tool, not a system. So it’s impossible to get everything that you need to do on a piece of paper or even in a planner. They’re just they’re archaic. It’s going to hold you back. I say stay away from it and go with something digital. Now, if you get into something digital like Asana or Trello or even Todoist, you could go down some rabbit trails. So be very careful. Here’s my cautionary note on that. They offer things like projects, tasks and subtasks. But honestly, it is so much more

Leslie (21:36.315)
easier than that and simpler than that. You really only need to worry about two things and two things only. It’s what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it. So if there is a hard and fast deadline or a due date, yes, keep that in mind. Keep that in your vision. Put it with the task. But you don’t need to start breaking down everything into a gazillion little tasks because that’s going to make you crazy. The only thing you have to think about is what is the first action step I need to do to get this started.

or the next action step to keep this moving forward. Do not try to get your crystal ball out and figure out every little step that you’re gonna take on some big project or even a multi -step task. Just identify the very first thing you wanna do. And that is the task that goes in whatever task list you’ve got cooking, okay?

Megan Tobler (22:23.478)
That’s so good. always say it’s so self -starter is all about just taking that first step and I always say that the first step is the hardest part. So once you get that first step down, like you were talking about, the first one is that first action step. Then from there, just focus on the second one. think especially when you look at the whole picture, that’s what prevents people from getting started at all because they get overwhelmed. And that’s very similar to what you’re talking about here, where it’s you’re overwhelmed with your task list. So then you just don’t do it.

And it just keeps piling up and piling up just like the email inbox and it never, it never gets fixed. No. That’s why you’re here. Exactly. So, so you’re talking about this proprietary framework of yours. How do you really work with your clients to be able to make sure that they’re able to implement this in a way that’s really effective?

Leslie (22:56.915)
But doesn’t have to be that way. That’s why I’m here.

Leslie (23:14.793)
So what I do is private consulting with two different kinds of consulting packages. The only difference between them is just how many hours we spend together. And the reason for that is because some people have accumulated more stuff. And by stuff, I don’t mean just papers and files. We’re really talking about tasks on their plate right now, things like email. But email folders can be the real hold up.

because even if you have thousands in the inbox, which we’re not going through by the way, it’s when people have a gazillion email folders on the left side of the screen, that’s where we’re gonna spend more time because too many people are setting up too many folders. So my pro tip for you guys today is do not go overboard with setting up too many folders, like for everybody who has ever sent you an email, don’t do that. Stay away from that because that’s gonna make your list so much longer than it needs to be.

And the more you have, the more you have to manage and the more you have to sift through to find the gold. So don’t bury the good stuff. Really keep it to a nice, short, concise list. No more than a screen view, I always say, no matter how big or small your monitor is. You don’t want to have to keep scrolling and searching to find those really necessary emails. So I would say make sure that you get rid of emails really quickly, you know, get rid of the junk really fast, unsubscribe.

Let go of things that are not useful to you and make sure that you’re getting those tasks and follow -ups out of there, you know, because those are really important. Those are really key.

Megan Tobler (24:44.59)
Well, I know you talked about the working with existing business owners and you also work with C -level executives here, but this is also sounds like it’d be really beneficial for someone that’s also just looking to start their business too. So that way they’re actually getting it set up and like on the ground floor up for success. Is that also who you work with?

Leslie (25:05.885)
That is true. I work with business owners, absolutely. And in these two consulting packages, they go the same way. Every time we start with a three hour call.

because that’s the one where we’re building the task list. And when I do that with my clients, we get everything all in one inventory, if you will. I call it mission control. So we’re pulling tasks away from their sources. Email is just the most annoying, but you also have phone calls and texts, social media. You’ve got meetings, hallway conversations. You’ve got the papers and files on your desk that we already talked about. And when you create one of those to -do lists on paper, that becomes yet another source because you filled it up.

So what folks are trying to do right now is kind of compare and plan and prioritize in their head because they’re looking at each of these sources of tasks and trying to remember the most important one and then plan and prioritize in their head. And that’s when things start slipping through the cracks because that’s impossible to do.

very efficiently and effectively. So when we work together, the first thing we do is get all those tasks into one place. So once we do that, then my clients have 100 % awareness of what’s on their plate. And that kind of clarity is priceless because only then can you effectively compare and contrast the many things that are on your plate and make smart decisions about how to spend your time. So that’s number one. That’s always number one. Number two is getting into time management.

because then they say, well, I have this great task list, but I no time to work on it. So for those of you who are in back -to -back meetings all day, be careful of that because you have to have time in your day for two very important processes. One is task management and one is email management. You’ve got to have time for both.

Leslie (26:42.792)
And then at the end of our consulting, we’re finally getting into email and email folders. And I help my clients get to zero in the inbox and not just to see the pretty white space. It’s so, you know, you’ve seen everything, you’ve made a decision on everything and you’ve moved it all to better locations of either reference or action, or it’s gone, archived or deleted. So, taskology is an A to Z step -by -step system. This is not about getting a bunch of random, you know, disconnected tips, tricks, tools, tactics, shortcuts or hacks.

You know, it’s a system that covers everything in your workday. So when you set yourself up, you got to make sure that you have the right ways that you can file papers and files or that your hard drive is ready for e -documents and that you’re ready to categorize that. Or if you use something in the cloud, that’s fine. It could be Google Docs. Whatever you do, though, make sure you’ve got the right categories of information to set things up. And that way you can file things away right away and instead of letting it build up.

Yeah, you wanna take care of it as it shows up, not as it builds up.

Megan Tobler (27:42.152)
that’s good. And not only is this just a system, this is a proven system. So what kind of results or what kind of impact have your clients seen as a result of implementing this framework?

Leslie (27:55.207)
They can gain one to two hours back in their workday every day. And it’s surprising where that time comes from to a lot of people. They wonder, you know, is this just about time blocking or is it really more? And it is more than just time blocking because a lot of people would say to me, well, I know how to time block. I can throw that on my calendar anytime. But what we do with taskology is a lot deeper and there’s a whole strategy to it so that people understand how to do it, why to do it.

where to do it, when to do it, how many days a week, how many times a day, how long the block should be, and what to do when things go wrong. So we cover all these different bases that a lot of folks don’t think about in the beginning, you know? And then before they know it, they’re like, I need time, and then they don’t have it. So we take care of all that at once. But what’s surprising to people is that there’s time hiding in three different areas, three different processes in your workday that they don’t know that time is hiding. And these processes are how you manage tasks, email, and information.

Because when they’re really inefficient right now, that’s where loads of time is being lost and loads of inefficiencies are being lost because they’re not moving seamlessly throughout their day. So if you think about information management or email management, let’s say you can’t find something. Well, now you can’t finish that task. You know, I can’t find this. Now I can’t answer that email. Now I got to call somebody, you know, and it’s like fits and starts and they move here and they move there and they can’t really finish something.

and then keep starting and finishing. And then when they finish a task, then the question is, well, now what? What’s next? And so they get sucked into email again, or they get lost on the desk again, or they check that legal pad. no, that’s not the legal pad I used yesterday. Where’s the other one? And they’re kind of rolling around in their day, kind of jumping from here to there, and not really able to go, yes, I’ve done that, and now I can do this, and then just keep moving. So it’s that kind of seamless activity that gets you that time back.

and get you the efficiency that you need in your day so that you can actually feel productive and feel satisfied and accomplished at the end of the day. So gaining that time back is number one.

Megan Tobler (29:49.934)
Well, and I think that’s also where I the preparedness comes in and the organization to be able to help you execute properly so you can get the one to two hours because in my past life I was in the sales world and they were constantly telling us how like to time block to do certain activities within certain hours and in concept it’s great. But if you don’t plan for it, then that time block is a waste because if let’s say I was going to go make.

If I was going to do cold calls for an hour, then if I didn’t have a list ready to go, also separated by these are the people on the East Coast, these are the people on the West Coast to make sure that I was calling them at appropriate times and hours based on their schedule, then it was a difference between me potentially getting five calls in an hour or potentially 30 calls or whatever that may be, depending on who answers the phone. But there’s

there’s a difference between just like checking off the box and putting something on your calendar and actually being efficient with the time that you’re having. And that is where the time saving comes into play because you would get the one to two hours back if you’re efficient with those time blocks that you do have.

Leslie (31:04.551)
That’s if you have the task list to drive you. So yes, you can block it on the calendar, but then when you’re ready to get the tasks done, you’re correct. You have to have that list of things to do that’s going to go into that time. And if you’re not ready and prepared, as you said, with these are the things I’m going to do today, then you’re right. It’s just spinning your wheels. And that’s why when we build the taskology task list, it has everything that you need to do, have to do, want to do, even dream of doing. Not all in one day, but all in one system.

So, because my clients have anywhere from 30 to 150 tasks on their task list, but they’re not all for today or this week or even this month. They go on for months. So what you want to do, even if you say, Leslie, I don’t really care about that until next January. No, get it on the list and then it’s off your mind because you’ll see it when it comes up in the January timeframe and not on your calendar. I mean, on the task list. So we don’t put tasks on a calendar.

by the way, so there’s another pro tip. Stay away from that because that’s gonna get you into trouble. But when it’s on a list and you see it with today at the top and then future days down below, you always have everything right there. That’s why it’s mission control. And then you don’t need the Post -it notes. You don’t need to keep it in your memory. You don’t need to keep track of it that way. And then you’re prepared to use your time blocks.

Megan Tobler (32:16.904)
that’s so good. And I it’s like when you’re when you’re dreaming, you know, and you wake up and they say, keep a little a little book next to your bed so can write it down, you can actually get it out of your brain and just go back to sleep. It’s like you need that but fear it for your day. But I’m thinking and I’m thinking everyone needs a Leslie in their life, whether you’re in corporate, where and you’re thriving in your corporate job, or you’re looking to get out of your corporate job and building a side hustle. Maybe you’ve already started a business and you need

like a little extra help from an organization perspective because every single person can use an additional one to two hours of time back in their life. I know, especially at this stage in my life, one to two hours is gold for me. So the things that I can accomplish in one to two hours.

Leslie (32:51.699)
Mm

Megan Tobler (33:02.432)
It’s, I don’t even, I don’t, I’m speechless. It’s like, there’s so much that I could do within one to two hours if I had that time. So Leslie, if someone’s listening to today’s conversation and they are thinking, I really need to learn more because I need some of this in my life and to really put a strategy behind everything that I’m doing, where could they go ahead and find you?

Leslie (33:08.416)
Right? Yeah. Yes.

Leslie (33:24.657)
They can find me at ProductiveDay .com or they can email me at Leslie at ProductiveDay .com.

Megan Tobler (33:32.59)
Well,

Leslie (33:32.717)
And yeah, we’ve got a few free resources on the website right now that I invite everybody to take advantage of because with the first one, which is our quiz, it’s a what’s your number one productivity blind spot quiz, which is really fun because it’s not only fun to take, but it’s a little diagnostic so that at the end you find out what your number one productivity blind spot is and you get your own unique results report and you find out if you’re a giver, a marker, a jumper or a detective.

And then after that, you get a deeper dive special report that I’ve written just about your particular blind spot and how to fix it. So that one’s fun. The other one is the Productive Day Smart Steps. And that’s a 52 -week audio series of just two or three minute audios, tips and strategies straight from Tascology. And I invite everybody to dive into that as well, because then you’ll hear a little bit every week and learn more about what’s possible for you.

Megan Tobler (34:25.282)
Now I want to go take the quiz because I have a feeling that I’m a giver. Just based on those four different answers, I’m thinking, constantly doing things with everyone else right now and forgetting my own list sometimes.

Leslie (34:33.659)
And that’s

Leslie (34:37.417)
Yeah, giving away your time. Yeah, because the other benefit outside of time is helping my clients spend up to 50 % less time in their email inbox. And there’s a big time saver right there, understanding that they can get through it, move on, and then make progress outside of the inbox.

Megan Tobler (34:55.758)
I love it. Well, Leslie, I always like to end with one question and it’s the same question for everyone. But for those people that are listening and are really wanting to start their own business, what advice would you give them?

Leslie (35:09.265)
I would say that anything is possible and to take your spare time, if there is any outside of your corporate job and start getting those ducks in a row that I talked about before. Find the accountant, find the lawyer to help you with a setup of let’s just talk through what kind of business you want.

When I started up my business, I was still in corporate. I wasn’t for long. It only took me like a month to get all that together. So from the time I decided to leave, which was July of 2003, I gave my notice and I think my last day was September 5th. So within two months, I had gotten the accountant, the lawyer, the, you know, filed with the state of Maryland, et cetera, you know, got my name, started talking to people, just talk to people, talk to people about what you want to do.

Throw it out to the universe. This is what I want to do. And you’re going to find so many people show up to help you get your dream started and get those goals met because you just have to take action. That’s what I’m always telling my clients anyway. So this is true for starting a business. Take action. You can’t make progress by just sitting back and doing nothing. You’ve got to jump in and you really want to let your passion drive you because that excitement is essential.

because I never would have made it 20 years if I wasn’t always passionate and excited about what I do. That’s gonna keep you afloat when things don’t go so well. And there are gonna be those moments. So get into motion now, go find the people that you need and start talking to people about what you think you need next. And then people will start to appear. Opportunities will appear. Yeah.

Megan Tobler (36:45.368)
Well, then I’m just going to piggyback off of what you said too, because you were talking about how you’re so passionate about what you’re doing all these years later. It’s because it’s something that is, it’s something that is so natural to you and something that you just love to do anyways. And I think that sometimes the thing that we’re meant to do is right in front of us, but we don’t see it because it’s so normal in to us that sometimes even just asking someone else what they see that’s unique about you can kind of.

Just be that little light bulb moment that you need to realize, my natural gift could actually be really of value to other people in the world and be something that I really enjoy 20 plus years later. So thank you for so much for listening to that little inner voice of yours. And I know that little girl that put on that school uniform in bed the night before is probably just so giddy today. Well, obviously, because you’re sitting here right now. it was meant to be because like think about

what you were doing back then and where you are now. And it just, it was made for you.

Leslie (37:47.675)
It is, it is, and it’s what I love to do and I love to serve people and help where I can. So, you know, let that drive you because there are going to be days that it’s not easy and you definitely need people around you to do the things that you don’t know how to do because it isn’t all going to be, as they say in the E -Myth, about baking the pies. You know, you’re still going to have that whole business structure around you and you’re going to need support. So be on the lookout for that too.

Megan Tobler (38:09.976)
Well, you are definitely a huge support. So everything will be linked in the show nuts for them to go check you out and go take that free quiz. I know I’m going to be doing that as well. So Leslie, thank you for so much for a productive conversation today.

Leslie (38:23.953)
You’re welcome and thank you, Megan, for having me as a guest. It was really fun.