Today I’m going into another in my TELL IT LIKE IT IS series of shows which have proven to be very successful in the past – These are episodes where I talk about a problem which it’s likely we may all have come up against but which out of politeness or awkwardness or some other reason we just don’t discuss. This is one which has bit me in the ass a good few times over the years. Before I get into it though, I am increasingly conscious that I may come across as a moaning old git, but I do draw up...
Oct 27, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I’m releasing release two shorter more on point episodes. This episode SWIM FOR YOUR LIFE is the first show where I’ve talked about fitness… it’s a very limited immersion (pun very much intended) in a topic that I feel may make a big difference to your life if you can go with it. There’s plenty of other stuff in here too if you are a non-swimmer so stay tuned! Now not only is STAYING ACTIVE one of the ESSENTIAL 5 A DAY FOR GOOD MENTAL HEALTH elements, but it’s also vital if you are to be a...
Oct 20, 2019•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode, I’m going to be talking once again about HABITS. I’ve gone into them before in episode 13 - HABIT FORMING FOR A BETTER LIFE and I will be coming back to them again. The more you do something, the stronger and more efficient the connection becomes. Habit-forming, you see, is yet another essential part of self-improvement. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellenc...
Oct 20, 2019•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, I’m talking about crowdfunding - If you have ever considered running a campaign of your own then there are a few things which I’ve picked up along the way that you might find useful. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “If you launch your campaign with zero audience, you are launching to crickets.” — Khierstyn Ross “Crowdfunding Uncut” “Before you even start building your crowdfunding page, Start building a c...
Oct 13, 2019•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast I talked about A SENSE OF URGENCY last season in my episode entitled DRIVE, but for me, it’s really one of the cornerstones of productivity itself. John Kotter’s quote there says it very well. This is not about panic, anxiety or fear (although you may have to fight them off a wee bit along the way) it’s about killing complacency and replacing it with something else. An "inner energy" that drives your forward, to complete on your plans, to hit deadlines and to achieve great things. For a full tra...
Oct 06, 2019•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I talk about how to deal with problems that upset your plans and why you shouldn't let them derail you. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win.”- English innovation strategy specialist Max McKeown “Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.” - Mike Tyson “Mistakes are a part of life; you can't avoid them. All...
Sep 29, 2019•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you tend to overthink your choices to the point where you feel paralyzed and don’t make a decision? If you recognise this in yourself then listen up as this week I’ll be talking about how to overcome it. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are...
Aug 20, 2019•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Law of Single Handling states that you will only maximize your performance and potential when you discipline yourself to concentrate single-mindedly on the single most important task from inception to completion without distraction. Only in this way will you effectively optimize your output and productivity. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twe...
Aug 18, 2019•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you Google why you SHOULD GIVE UP ON STUFF you’ll get a thousand hits that say the exact opposite - the message is strong and positive and seemingly sensible – NEVER GIVE UP – but this is not a black and white issue - there’s nuance here – You’ve already caught the episode title, and I say – let’s just wait a second here – and talk about this. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Every new beginning comes from so...
Aug 04, 2019•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast The main benefit of a social media detox is that it gives you an increased focus on what really matters. Today I talk about this and the other benefits of taking a social media break. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung “Just as one goes on a fast or a body cleanse you owe it to yo...
Jul 14, 2019•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode looks at 10-minute motivation and the concept of the minimum viable product as applied to creative projects. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “If you cannot fail, you cannot learn.” - The Lean Startup by Eric Ries “Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don't forget to have art in your life - music, paintings, theatre, dance, and sunsets.” - Children’s author and designer Eric Carle You can find out mo...
Jul 14, 2019•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast This show is the last of season 2 and today I will encourage you yet again to take control of your life and work and dreams and ambitions by adopting the productivity techniques that I have talked about here on this podcast. Call it a motivational talk if you will, but by recapping on some of the key techniques I have introduced here, I will show you how you can gain back control of your life and take positive action to move forward. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the officia...
May 12, 2019•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I will be following up on Season one’s FIVE FREE PRODUCTIVITY APPS episode with five more awesome apps for IOS or Android. These are apps that I use myself, if not every day of the year then certainly every week. Please note that apps often get changed or deleted from app stores and over time, may render some information contained here obsolete. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “The obvious rule of efficien...
May 05, 2019•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast (Edit August 2020 - I should have called this "Start With What You've Got" as it's a little less film-specific.) This lesson can be applied to any endeavour. This week I’m postulating on why many of us spend so much time chasing after the next shiny new thing, whether that’s a bit of technology or whatever, or feel we have to wait for the planets to come into JUST the right alignment before we can even consider getting out there and doing something that we really want to do. For filmmakers, and ...
Apr 28, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast As last season’s 5 FREE APPS TO MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE episode was so incredibly popular, I thought that I’d continue with a couple of episodes this season on similar themes. Today I will present 6 awesome FREE extensions for Google Chrome. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” - Hans Hofmann New York Times Bestselling auth...
Apr 21, 2019•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I’m tackling a subject which I think every one of us faces at least every now and again. It’s one of a series of episodes where I TELL IT LIKE IT IS. The SERIES 1 TIMEWASTERS episode was in the same vein and hugely popular and generated a lot of activity on social media and I suspect that my episode of a few weeks ago – COLLABO-HATERS will go down just as well. Today I will be talking about all different forms of TOXIC people, advising you how to SPOT them, how to AVOID them and how to get...
Apr 14, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s show is all about KILLING THE MICROWAVE MINDSET and replacing it with something much more realistic. If you can understand the concepts I raise here and apply them to your life and work, and particularly to your skillset and long term goals then somewhere down the line, they will deliver massive and impactful results. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “having the attitude that if something can't be done in...
Apr 07, 2019•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s show, I talk about RUMINATING. I mentioned it in passing on THE INNER CRITIC episode 6 but I expand on it here and offer solutions. Rumination can take over your mind, kill your creativity, bring you down, make you paranoid and kill your love for life. It’s a nasty, nasty piece of work. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: Karen Lang - “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” The Cambridge...
Mar 31, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week I’ll be talking about another topic which every one of us likely suffers from, from time to time - PROCRASTINATION. We’ll look at what it is and its causes and list a few techniques and tricks that can be used to burn it to the ground and let you move forward with what you have to do. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “You may delay, but time will not.” - Benjamin Franklin “You can't just turn on creativ...
Mar 24, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show, I will be talking about a subject that no one ever seems to discuss but it’s one that creatives have to endure perhaps more often than most. Whereas I can admit that sometimes collaborating on a venture can be awesome, there are times when it just ISN’T a good idea for productivity or for your sanity or career or goals or bank balance to do so. I’ll also discuss specific types of collaborator that you MUST learn to avoid. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the of...
Mar 17, 2019•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’ll be delving into a business productivity system called the 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION aka the 4DX which I believe will be applicable to the world of creatives like film pros. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Stay focused - go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals.” - LL Cool J The book THE FOUR DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION says “The real enemy of execution is your day job! We call it the whi...
Mar 10, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I am going to be talking about Mental Energy and why ABOVE ALL THINGS it must be protected. I’ll talk about what it is, how to ensure it isn’t wasted and the huge difference that protecting it will make to your life. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Mental energy is the world’s hottest commodity. People are going to try to steal it, drain it, and suck it up every second you’re awake. Yet very few of us pro...
Mar 03, 2019•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast And it’s good to be back with the 1st episode of season 2 and today the subject is DRIVE. How to find it, how to maintain it and how to harness it. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” - DENIS WAITLEY “The man who can drive himself further once the effort...
Feb 24, 2019•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hello and welcome to this preseason mini-episode of the show which continues to do well and today the figures say that it’s actually up 11.8% over the previous 14 days of downloads. I’ve been working very hard to ensure that the new season is filled with awesome, mind-expanding and motivational PRODUCTIVITY ADVICE, not just for film pros, but which is largely accessible to all. I have been preparing 12 new episodes which will officially launch on the 24th of this month with episode 17. That show...
Feb 10, 2019•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I look at Jinny Ditzler's awesome book for planning the year ahead, Your Best Year Yet. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “The principal value of our mistakes and failures is our ability to learn from them.” - Jinny Ditzler American author of self-help books, Melody Beattie, says that “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. And that “We can help write that story by se...
Dec 30, 2018•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this, the final episode of season 1, I’ll be talking about one of the most powerful weapons in the productivity-ists arsenal: GOAL SETTING. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: The American motivational speaker Daymond John believes that “the last thing I read at night will likely manifest when I'm sleeping. You become what you think about the most.” Mark Twain wrote that: “To live a fulfilled life, we need to kee...
Dec 09, 2018•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The format this week is a little bit different as I want to offer you suggestions on productivity apps which you can use to make your day to day life and work just a little bit easier. In this episode, I will present 5 awesome apps that you should download to boost your productivity. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: Peter Drucker the American-Austrian educator said “Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing...
Dec 02, 2018•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I will be discussing the topic of habit-forming and how forming new habits and, just as important, breaking old ones - can move you into a better life, a stronger career and a happier place in general. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: Former Olympic athlete Jim Ryun said that “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation...
Nov 25, 2018•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast I’ve wanted to tackle this subject for a while now, as it is something that I am more and more aware of. Today I will be talking about how to deal with people that waste your time and distract you from what is important. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: The famous American motivational speaker, Earl Nightingale says simply, that “People with goals succeed because they know where they're going.” “More of your conv...
Nov 18, 2018•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s show, I will be discussing the concept of the twelve-week year, how I used it to get out of a creative rut and how it can be used to focus your vision and complete goals quickly. It’s a bit longer than usual episodes but it’s filled with valuable and important stuff. For a full transcript of this episode please go to the official website https://www.filmproproductivity.com/ Quotes: “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”...
Nov 11, 2018•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
