Growth Instigators Hotline

#282 Have you ever tried to cut a carrot with a spoon?

• Aaron Havens • Season 3 • Episode 282

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Aaron Havens explores productivity tools that match different thinking styles and working preferences, emphasizing that the right tool can be a game-changer while the wrong one creates unnecessary friction. Using the analogy of trying to cut a carrot with a spoon, he demonstrates how crucial it is to find productivity systems that work with your natural tendencies rather than against them.

• Visual organizers should try Notion or Trello for a digital corkboard experience
• List lovers might prefer Todoist, Things, Slack, or Monday for satisfying task completion
• Time blocking with Google Calendar helps people who need structured days
• Gamified productivity apps like Streaks, Loop, or Habitica (with dragons!) make habits fun
• Don't use tools that are "smarter than you" if you spend more time figuring them out than using them
• Sometimes simple solutions like sticky notes work best if that's what fits your brain
• The best productivity tool helps you stop managing your life and start living it

Leave a message after the beep or email Aaron at aaron@growthinstigators.com to share your favorite productivity tool. If your team needs help building better systems, visit growthinstigators.com to learn how we can build the right toolkit together.


Speaker 0:

Have you ever tried to cut a carrot with a spoon? Welcome to message 282 of the Growth Instigator's Hotline, where we ignite your personal and professional development. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. Let's dive into today's insight.

Speaker 0:

Top Performance Tuesday Tools to Supercharge Productivity. No for real. Have you ever tried to cut a carrot with a spoon? I haven't. I wonder if it's difficult. Let me know if you have. Actually, I bet one thing we can all agree on is that a knife is a much more optimal choice.

Speaker 0:

Using the right productivity tool is very similar. If you have one, that works, great. If not, it can be a nightmare, be a nightmare. Optimization and having the right tool is key in all aspects of life. This is why coaching is so important. Coaches help us maximize our efforts and evaluate the efficiency of the tools we are implementing.

Speaker 0:

I've tested my fair share of productivity tools. Some worked, some crashed, some were amazing for about a week until I forgot my login. I just went back to a sticky note. But when you find the right combination, it's a game changer. So let me throw out a few suggestions for you to try or to retry. If you're a visual organizer, then you should try Notion or Trello. If you want to see your life like a digital corkboard, then boom, you'll like those. If you love a clean, satisfying checklist and get a little dopamine hit every time you swipe something off, try Todoist or Things or Slack or Monday. If you're someone who needs your day to be mapped out or you'll accidentally end up doing random stuff, try Google Calendar and time blocking. And if you want a fun way to gamify your progress, try habit apps like Streaks, Loop or Habitica and, yes, dragons are actually involved in this fun process.

Speaker 0:

And here's my personal tip Don't use a tool that's smarter than you If you're spending more time figuring it out than using it. That's not productivity, that's tech drama. And ain't nothing wrong with some good old sticky notes everywhere. If that's your jam, that's tech drama, and ain't nothing wrong with some good old sticky notes everywhere. If that's your jam, pick what fits your brain, stick with it long enough to see the benefits and don't be afraid to scrap what doesn't work. At the end of the day, the best productivity tool is the one that helps you stop managing your life and start living it. Thank you for calling Growth Instigators Hotline. I'd love to hear from you. Leave a message after the beep or send an email to Aaron at growthinstigatorscom and let me know this what's one productivity tool you swear by? And if your team is buried under tasks and looking for smarter systems, that's what we do. Visit growthinstigatorscom and let's build the right toolkit together. Thank you for calling today and, as always, keep instigating growth in all you do.