My friends often compliment me for being so productive, writing blog posts, recording podcast episodes, doing my daily exercises, and studying religiously.

I have told them several times that at heart I am a lazy sloth. I have kick myself in the butt to get anything done.

What’s the disconnect?

The only reason why I produce anything at all is that I have no choice, I put myself into a corner.

1. I don’t have a girlfriend. Not by choice, I just haven’t found the person who I am looking for, so until then, I will have at least one additional hour during my day in which I have to spend it on something other than enjoying someone’s company. I would gladly give up some of my productivity in order to spend more time with someone special, but that person is not there.
2. I don’t have a TV. I haven’t owned a TV in over 20 years. Yes, I end up using my computer to watch YouTube videos from time to time but keep in mind that the average North American spends about 18 hours of TV watching per week. After I spend a few minutes watching some YouTube videos, I feel satisfied and I close the window.
3. I don’t use alcohol nor drugs. Sure, if I go to your house and you put a beer in my hand, I will drink it, but I never keep alcohol in my apartment and I never feel the need to have any alcohol or drugs. Some of my friends close their days by having a glass of wine or a joint and there it goes, at least two hours of their time. I close my day by looking at my email box one more time or doing some more reading.

With all these limitations, I find myself with no other option but to produce something. If I don’t produce something all I have left is to stare out of my window doing nothing and that would drive me crazy.

Reading

My first activity is reading. I read for one hour every day. This covers my pleasure reading and the reading I have to do to prepare for my podcast.

Everyone should read every day. We find time to watch TV or indulge in social media. I think reading should take priority over any other form of entertainment.

What happens is that reading forces you to use your imagination and creativity. Imagine a simple phrase such as “The girl entered the room.” You have to imagine, the girl, and you have to imagine the room and everyone’s image of the girl and the room will be different, when you have to use your imagination so often you have no choice but to develop it. In addition, reading increases your vocabulary, your thinking, and empathy towards others.

Writing exercises

English is not my first language, and I suffer from impostor syndrome. I usually tell myself that I don’t know enough English to have a blog and a podcast. In order to battle my impostor syndrome, I do 20 minutes of English writing exercises. It does improve my English and my self confidence.

Podcasting

I do about five interviews per week.

To make this possible. I have to go hunting every morning. I search for people who are doing interesting things and once I find them, I email them. My practice is to send three emails per day. Of course, many of them don’t respond, but enough people respond to keep my agenda busy.

The podcast is the highlight of my day. I have to prepare by finding as much as possible about my guest, record the interview, edit the interview, and publish the interview. It takes most of my mental power, but what a gift it is to have an amazing conversation with an expert in one field or the other.

Exercise

Not a day goes by without doing at least 15 minutes of exercise. Our lives are more and more sedentary and if we don’t have some kind of physical activity, we are just doing more harm to our bodies.

That’s it.

The only reason why I produce something is that I have no other choice. Productivity had become my escape.

Support this blog

You can support this blog by:

1. Using our Amazon Affiliate link.
2. Subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
3. Subscribing to our podcast through your favorite podcast app.
4. Making a donation of $1, $2, or $5.
5. Subscribing to our newsletter. We send one email every Sunday with a summary of the week.

Related posts

1. You Win By Staying In The Game
2. Control what you can, let go of what you can’t
3. Three Ways To Get A Cheerleader In Your Life