100 Episodes Later: What Is Productivity Really For?

• Why effectiveness matters more than efficiency, and what that means for your to-do list
• The three self compassion practices that help one guest thrive instead of survive
• How women I’ve worked with reclaimed their pace, their evenings and even their summers
• Why removing friction at home can matter more than managing it all better
• Why the podcast is moving into seasons, and what that has to do with peaceful productivity

“When we rush, we miss, and miss out.”

“You’re no longer trying to do it all. You’re doing what matters.” “My work fulfils me, but it isn’t the centre of my life, and it isn’t the measure of my worth.”

“Sometimes the answer isn’t becoming better at managing everything. Sometimes it’s changing your environment so there is simply less to manage.”

“What is performance if it’s not sustainable?”

Excerpt

What is productivity actually for? In this celebratory Episode 100 of The Productivity Sweet Spot, Anne Rajoo brings back past guests and clients to share what peaceful productivity means to them in real life. From joy at work and self compassion to work life integration and sustainable energy in work, their reflections show what happens when entrepreneurship and productivity stop being about doing more. Mothers and business owners share how they reclaimed their pace, their evenings and even their summers, offering a grounded take on mom entrepreneur productivity and on redefining success. Anne also reflects on her own journey towards sustainable productivity, and shares why the podcast is now moving into a seasonal format.

Transcript

Anne Rajoo: When I started this podcast, I thought I was starting a podcast about productivity.

One hundred episodes later, I think I’ve actually been exploring a much bigger question: how do we do work that matters, without work taking over our lives?

And somewhere across these hundred episodes, this podcast changed me too. I’ve had conversations with incredibly wise people. I’ve questioned things I used to believe about productivity. I’ve developed ideas that have gone on to shape my business and my work. And perhaps most importantly, I’ve found my own voice.

So I didn’t want Episode 100 to simply be a celebration or a look back. I wanted to ask: after all these conversations, all these experiments, and all the people who have brought Peaceful Productivity into their own lives, what have we actually learned? And what does that mean for where we go next?

Because this podcast is changing too.

Welcome to Episode 100 of The Productivity Sweet Spot.

Anne: Episode 100! I’m so incredibly happy, proud, excited, and grateful. Grateful to you, the listeners, because without you, this podcast wouldn’t exist. Thank you so much for tuning in and for following along on this journey.

I’m somebody who struggled to speak publicly. I wanted to have a podcast for many years, and I kept finding excuses and reasons not to start it. And then I fell in love with it, deeply enjoyed the process, and grew so much through podcasting.

I’m just really grateful to be able to do this, and for you to tune in, to listen, to leave reviews, and to reach out to me when things resonate with you. And of course, I’m grateful to the amazing, beautiful guests I’ve had on the show over these 100 episodes.

This is the big one, and it really is a celebration, but not so much in the sense of looking back at all the things we have talked about or done on the podcast. Because this podcast has changed me as a person, absolutely.

When I started, I really thought it was going to be a sort of typical productivity podcast, but with a spin. I knew I didn’t want to fall into the trap of doing more, squeezing in more, and getting better at time management. That’s what I had been doing for many, many years, and it worked in different ways, until it didn’t.

And that’s when I came up with Peaceful Productivity, because it was the piece that had been missing in my life and in my way of working.

So I knew I didn’t want to go down the route of just productivity hacks and tips. But at the same time, I didn’t know what I was going to learn, or how many amazing, interesting things I would discover through the conversations I’ve been having here on the podcast. And it really has changed me. It has changed the way I work, it has changed my business, and it has changed my family.

So it’s really exciting to share this episode with you, because I’m bringing back some of the amazing voices who have been on the podcast, and some wonderful voices from friends and women I have been working with over the past years.

On this 100th episode, I want to explore the question of what Peaceful Productivity means, and what it maybe gives us in real life. Because it was never really about getting more done.

It Was Never Really About Getting More Done

Anne: So let’s start with one of my amazing guests, Saskia Mardi.

Saskia Mardi: To me, peaceful productivity isn’t about being as efficient as possible, trying to do as much as you can as quickly as you can. Rather, it’s about being as effective as possible. Because if you’re just trying to do things quickly and cram more in without actually focusing on what is impactful, you’re just going to be wasting your time.

So for me, it’s all about getting really clear on what it is you’re trying to achieve, and making sure that only the things that align with that make it onto your to-do list. So you’re no longer trying to do it all. You’re doing what matters.

Anne: This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions I have spent these 100 episodes pushing against. And so I love Saskia’s message.

How We Work Matters Too

Anne: But what also matters a lot is how we actually do the work. So let’s hear from JD Walter.

JD Walter: For me, peaceful productivity is all about mindfulness: choosing to do one thing at a time without distraction, giving the activity the care and attention it deserves, and treating all of the efforts that make up my life as craft rather than as mass production.

The peace comes from a commitment to an approach to being productive that affords it the care and compassion it deserves. It doesn’t mean I can’t produce quickly, but it does remind me not to rush.

When we rush, we miss, and miss out, and our efforts become mundane tasks that must be completed, rather than the experiences that inform and shape who we are.

Anne: What stands out for me from JD is “when we rush, we miss, and miss out,” because that really is the essence of what makes Peaceful Productivity different. There is a quality of experience involved.

Joy is a big part of the PEACE framework, and of what it means to be peacefully productive, because enjoying your work, enjoying the process and enjoying the journey is huge. So let’s now hear from Dr. Ellen Albertson.

Dr. Ellen Albertson: Peaceful productivity for me is all about thriving rather than surviving, and the way that I thrive is by practising self-compassion. I do three things.

Number one: I talk to myself kindly rather than judgmentally. I don’t beat myself up. I’m not mean to myself. I give myself the kind of encouragement I would give a good friend.

Number two: I practise common humanity. This just means that when things go wrong, it’s normal. Rather than beating myself up, I just say, “You know what? This is just business as usual.” And this actually empowers me to fail forward, because if you are in business, you know that you learn more from your failures than you do from your successes.

And number three is mindfulness. I give myself what I need. When I notice that I’m dehydrated or I’ve been sitting for too long, I have some water. I take a walk. I ask for help. I take breaks. Again, I treat myself the way I would treat a good friend: with care, connection, and compassion.

Anne: Self-compassion is another part of my PEACE framework, so I can only shout it from the rooftops: self-compassion! The way we speak to ourselves matters deeply.

And now, let’s hear from Laziena Hodge.

Laziena Hodge: When I hear peaceful productivity, it immediately brings calm to me, because for me, it means that I’m in flow and I am in rhythm.

My thinking about productivity has changed so much. It used to come from performance, from overachieving, from external validation. And now it comes from a place of service: to give back, to be at peace, to be in that flow state.

So for anybody who feels constantly busy, I highly encourage you to check in with your purpose. Make sure that you are carving out time to fill your cup, because then you can pour into others effortlessly. And that’s what gives you that yummy juiciness you’ve always wanted in your life.

Anne: This one is important, because sustainable performance isn’t just an afterthought. It’s actually a big part of performance. Because what is performance if it’s not sustainable?

This is the issue we’ve been seeing around the world: more and more entrepreneurs, employees, and mothers in particular are hitting burnout, because the way they work is not sustainable.

What Happens When People Actually Live This Way?

Anne: But now, let’s shift gears and look at what happens in real life when people apply Peaceful Productivity. The ideas podcast guests have been sharing are always fascinating, interesting and beautiful. But perhaps the question we care about even more is: what changes when we actually start living them?

So let’s hear from some of my clients and community members. Some of them have also been on the podcast. Let’s start with Laura Sepanski Pimentel.

Laura Sepanski Pimentel: Hi, I’m Laura Pimentel, and I have found Peaceful Productivity to be so helpful when I’m thinking about a big project.

I usually get really intimidated by a big project, by all of the time it’s going to take and all the steps it’s going to take. But working with Peaceful Productivity, I’ve found that I can get into the project by spending just 15 or 30 minutes looking at it. What am I missing? Who do I need to talk to? What is the project in the first place? And then I can actually develop a plan of attack.

So instead of having that wall in front of me, “Oh my gosh, this is a five- or ten-hour project, how am I going to get this done in one sitting?”, I can develop a plan of attack. And it feels so much more peaceful, because I can space it out and actually do the work in the intermittent pockets of time that I actually have.

Honestly, I don’t think I would have gotten there without Peaceful Productivity. It’s been a bit of a slow burn, and it’s taken many, many reminders and many iterations. But it feels like it’s finally starting to click, which feels really good, because this is something that has felt like a wall for probably my entire life.

Anne: Now let me read the note I got from Joanne Homestead. She was a guest on the podcast as well, and she sent me this:

Anne (reading Joanne Homestead’s note): “Hey Anne! What I reclaimed in Peaceful Productivity: I first started working with Anne when I had hit burnout again in my business.

Since then, I’ve given myself permission to work at a sustainable pace without sacrificing the quality of my work (and I’m actually doing better work with my clients because I feel more grounded) or sacrificing revenue.

You’ve helped me look more intentionally at my close-out routine, so I can be more present in my work and be present with my kids.

Peaceful Productivity has been a game changer for me in terms of actually sitting down to reflect on each quarter and plan for the next one. You’ve also helped me realise that I can set deadlines for my quarterly goals, which always seemed to elude me, because sometimes I’m too much in creation-and-connection mode versus strategic decision-making mode.

Through Anne’s coaching, I’ve gotten so much better at forecasting how much time a task will take me, so I’m not always grossly underestimating the time.”

Anne: Beautiful. Thank you so much, Joanne.

So now, let’s hear from the amazing and wonderful Stephanie.

Stephanie: I think one of the biggest things I’ve reclaimed through Peaceful Productivity is a healthier relationship with productivity itself.

I used to think that being productive meant spending every hour of my day getting through a long to-do list, and always feeling like I had to be doing something more. But since becoming a mom, I realised that this way of working just wasn’t sustainable for me anymore.

I knew something wasn’t working, but I didn’t know how to pinpoint what it was. I was trying to fill every hour with work, and that didn’t make me feel productive. It just made me feel stressed, overwhelmed, and eventually burnt out. And honestly, I didn’t know there was another way to look at productivity.

Since the beginning of this year, when I became an entrepreneur, Peaceful Productivity has helped me realise that productivity doesn’t have to mean doing more. It can be about being intentional with my time and my work, understanding what truly matters, and creating a way of working that actually supports my life. As an entrepreneur, that shift has been incredibly powerful for me.

Working with Anne was also like the permission I was waiting for. Okay, the old way wasn’t sustainable for me. There’s a new way, and here it is. It was really powerful to know that another type of productivity existed. It’s not that I was wrong or doing something wrong. It’s only that it wasn’t something that suited my life.

And I think what I’ve really reclaimed is the freedom to define productivity in a way that works for me, instead of constantly trying to fit into someone else’s definition of what productivity should look like.

Anne: When I first heard this one, I almost cried, because I felt like I had done a good job. If just one person sees that there is an alternative way of being productive, I have done my work. So thank you, Stephanie.

Now let’s hear from my beloved friend, who is also a guest and also a client, Michele Akester-Marsh.

Michele Akester-Marsh: Peaceful Productivity, to me, is working around my own commitments and what I’ve got going on in my life, in a way that feels really peaceful to me.

What it’s allowed me to do is have a supportive community and dedicated time to regularly do business planning and co-work. Business planning is something I’ve always, always put off in the past, so it’s held me accountable to actually sit down and plan, while knowing that the plan can shift and change.

And what I’ve found this year is that I’ve become more than okay with parking things when I need to. For example, during the school holidays, I’ve been able to let things go, rather than piling pressure on myself to do something just because I said I’d do it, or feeling like I’m letting my audience down if I’m not creating content or sending emails in the same way, in the same format, and in the same rhythm.

So it’s given me permission to change the way I work and to fully own my business and what I create within it, rather than feeling like a slave to the systems I put in place, systems that perhaps don’t always work for particular phases of my life.

I’ve really enjoyed being part of this community. It’s helped me gain clarity and find a much more peaceful flow around my work.

Anne: And last but not least, let’s hear from Josephine Dolan-Dufourd.

Josephine Dolan-Dufourd: Hi Anne, I’m so sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I am at the end of the most peaceful summer I’ve had, I think, and I was reflecting on that.

I’d written some things down, and I was thinking about how this is my second summer since we started working together. It feels like a muscle I’m working: not worrying, and reclaiming a bit of that childhood feeling of summer being endless and not needing to worry about things.

So when you ask what’s one thing I’ve reclaimed through Peaceful Productivity, I think it’s that endless summer feeling. Gentleness with my time. And I think this translates into feeling very intentional, calm, rational, and much less catastrophic. I’m less anxious. I’m a lot more deliberate in how I approach things. If I can’t do anything about it until September, I can’t do anything about it until September. So everything feels a lot lighter, really.

My work isn’t that important to me anymore, in the nicest possible way. It’s not the centre of my world. I love what I do. I really enjoy my work, and I enjoy how it has changed completely from how I thought it would be when we started working together.

Peaceful Productivity hasn’t given me my life back, exactly, but it’s given me the working life I’d always hoped for. My work fulfils me, but it isn’t the centre of my life, and it isn’t the measure of my worth. And I’m far more successful as a result of living a life in alignment with my values, which is what I’d always hoped to do.

So yes, it gave me space. And gentleness, I think, would be the word I’d go for.

Anne: So these are real-life examples of women who have applied Peaceful Productivity.

Beyond Work: Designing Life With Less to Manage

Anne: But Peaceful Productivity isn’t only about how we approach our work, because work isn’t the only thing using our capacity. Our homes, our families, our responsibilities and the mental load of everyday life all compete for the same limited resources.

Now let’s listen to one of my guests, Caroline Thor.

Caroline Thor: When I hear peaceful productivity, I think of a home that supports you, rather than one that creates more friction or is constantly demanding something from you.

As a professional organiser, I see so many women who are constantly busy. They’ve got an enormous amount going on, and they’re moving stuff around, managing stuff, looking for stuff, and dealing with the mental load of life.

For me, productivity isn’t about squeezing more into my day. It’s about removing some of that friction: decluttering what you don’t need, giving the things you do need a home, and creating simple systems that everyone can follow. Because the goal of being organised is not a perfect home. It’s spending less time managing your home, and having more time and energy for the things that actually matter to you.

And for me, that is peaceful productivity.

Anne: I really love Caroline’s idea of removing friction, because it gets at something I’ve become increasingly interested in over these 100 episodes. Sometimes the answer isn’t becoming better at managing everything. Sometimes it’s changing your environment or your system, so that there is simply less to manage.

So What Is Productivity Actually For?

Anne: So now, let’s look at what productivity is actually for, at least as I see it. It’s not always just about making more money or doing more things. And it’s beautifully described by my next guest, Butch Phelps.

Butch Phelps: Peaceful productivity, to me, means that you leave the world in a better place than you found it. I don’t care how much money you make. If what you’re doing has a negative impact on the world around you, you’re going to wind up having a life without much meaning.

I love the fact that I can create something that actually helps people improve their lives, and gives them tools that not only help them on the day they need them, but can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Anne: And Mia Dins says it even more beautifully.

Mia Dins: Hi, my name is Mia, and peaceful productivity, to me, means creating from my own unique soul blueprint. Creating with joy, with flow, and from a place of overflow, rather than trying to produce something from force, restriction and limitation, only to seek validation, to hustle, or to get more done.

It’s a complete flow that is aligned with who I am, what I’m doing, and what I’m creating. That’s what peaceful productivity means to me.

Anne: So really, these 100 episodes have taken me, and hopefully you too, from thinking about productivity as hacks, habits and time management, to recognising that we all have limited attention, and that we can intentionally decide where our attention goes.

We all have limited capacity, and again, we can intentionally decide where our capacity goes. We can design our work, our environment and our systems, because ultimately, the way we work shapes the way we live. And I think that is what it really means to be peacefully productive.

Outro: And That Brings Me to the Podcast

Anne: Before I wrap up this 100th episode, I want to come back to something Michele said in her reflection: that she no longer wants to feel like a slave to the systems she put in place herself, particularly when those systems don’t work for a particular phase of her life.

This really resonates, and it’s part of what I’ve realised over these 100 episodes, especially in the last six months or so. I’ve been asking myself whether the way I produce this podcast really reflects my philosophy and the things I teach. I always try to really live by what I teach.

And I came to a point with the constant recording of episodes and finding guests to interview. Because of my time zone, and because my guests are often in very different time zones, most of them are only available to record when it’s evening for me. I really felt tired. I felt that I needed some of my evenings back.

My business evolved this way, and it has worked really well for me for many years: I work in the morning, I take my afternoon off to be with my children, and then I work again for a couple of hours in the evening.

But I will be honest: I miss my evenings. I miss putting my feet up, switching on Netflix and watching a show. I haven’t done that very much in the past six years.

I also miss sitting down with my husband and spending time with him, or even going to sleep at the same time as he does. Very often, he’s already asleep by the time I leave the office, because I’m recording and producing podcast episodes.

There are a lot of things that go into creating a podcast that many people don’t see or know about, which is absolutely fine, because it’s a beautiful format to create content, to connect with people, to learn, to share and to teach. However, it really came to the point where I felt that the podcast, the way it is right now, is no longer working for me.

So I wanted to use this 100th episode for, yes, the celebration, but also to announce that the format of this podcast will change. I am moving to a more seasonal approach.

I’m not actually sure yet when I will start my first season. Most likely, it will be the beginning of next year, because that’s the season for productivity. It’s the season of goal setting and planning, and that’s my jam. So I’m pretty sure I will be back early in the new year. I might also pop in before that, or maybe not. I’m not quite sure yet.

What I do know is that it will be seasonal. It will not be weekly episodes. Each season will be more condensed around a specific topic, so I can go deeper. I will probably do more solo episodes, with an occasional guest episode, so that I can record whenever I have the capacity and the time. And that way, I can also go deeper and further shape my voice and my thoughts.

It’s amazing to speak to guests and to learn from them, but it’s also time for me to really structure and dig deeper into what I believe and what I want to teach on this podcast.

So again, I appreciate you, the listener. And I appreciate my guests so much for sharing their wisdom so freely, genuinely and willingly. Thank you, everybody.

The episodes of all the guests, and the clients-slash-guests, who are part of this 100th episode and supported me with their reflections will be linked in the show notes, so you can go back and listen to those episodes as well.

And as always, stay peacefully productive. Thank you.