You’re wondering how to increase productivity in project management — perhaps you’re an established project manager who wants to be a better team leader and to improve productivity for yourself AND your team… or maybe you’re brand-new to project management and you’re wondering how to effectively manage a remote team without harming productivity. Either way, this case study on productivity improvement WITHOUT hustle was MADE for you!
Anabeth, a project manager for a large online company, joined Productivity Powerhouse because she wanted to be able to close the door to her home office and walk into the living room, knowing she can fully devote her attention to her little girl without worrying about piles of work on her desk.
She wanted to show her daughters that you can have a career AND a healthy family relationship!
(And of course, she wanted to be a great manager for her team and support them in their productivity and their work/life balance… She wanted to learn how to increase productivity in project management for herself, while simultaneously learning how to combat hustle culture so that EVERYONE in her life and work can benefit.)
Is that something you want, too?
This case study is PERFECT for you ♥
Anabeth shared her case study on productivity improvement WITHOUT hustle just three weeks after starting Productivity Powerhouse, so this is a great inside look at what you can accomplish and embody in less than a month of beginning this program!
(ICYMI: Productivity Powerhouse is my signature ANTI-HUSTLE e-course, specially designed for solopreneurs & multi-passionates, that empowers you to save 10 hours/week without burnout or overwhelm)
Let’s get into the case study on productivity improvement WITHOUT hustle, and how to increase productivity in project management…
Tell us a little about your life and work, and where you were at before you joined Productivity Powerhouse:
"I'm the project manager at a web agency. I manage an all-remote team and am taking on the role of CMO as well.
Before joining Productivity Powerhouse, I was managing projects fairly well but wanting to initiate more structured systems (SOPs, service packages, etc). Through our vision discussions we were considering new directions (new service offerings), boosting our content and social media strategies, and building a larger team.
My most pressing goal was focused on content marketing strategies, because everything was kinda do it when you have time—no structure for topics, no consistency in posting, lacking strong social presence.
As a project manager, I completely understand the power of managing time effectively and that being "busy" doesn't always mean being “productive.” By learning productive strategies from Sagan, not only did I know I’d be a better support to my clients and my team, but I would also grow in my new role as CMO.
I wanted to achieve a better work/life balance so I can close the door to my office and walk into the living room knowing I can fully devote my attention to my little girl without worrying about piles of work on my desk. I wanted to show my daughters that you can have a career and a healthy family relationship.
Prior to this program I was really struggling with an overwhelming to-do list. I struggled to determine what were priorities because it seemed that everything was a priority.
I spent too much time in “reactive mode” rather than in “proactive mode.” My biggest obstacle was managing the “fires” that come in and figuring out priorities (I manage approx. 40 projects, both team and clients).
My goal for this e-course was to streamline my task management so I could “shut down” at the end of the workday and turn my full focus to my family.
The thing I was most excited about was creating a better mindset—this has been the number one problem both personally and professionally. When I'm feeling bogged down with my workload I feel like a failure in life. Learning to control my mindset and see challenges as a learning experience rather than a failure was phenomenal!
Three things I wanted to get from Productivity Powerhouse include:
- Focus tactics (learning to focus rather than flitting through a bunch of tasks but completing none)
- Time management tactics (how do I batch work)
- Work/life balance (how to close off the brain from work when it's time to be a mom)”
What has Productivity Powerhouse enabled you to do — especially when it comes to how to increase productivity in project management and how you now handle toxic productivity culture?
“Productivity Powerhouse has enabled me to actually complete my task list more often than not. I now have a better understanding of what my "struggle areas" actually are and have tips on how to push through those areas.
I can say with complete confidence that the skills I learned in this course have saved me at least six hours every week, in just the three weeks since I joined Productivity Powerhouse. Not to mention the emotional benefit of closing out my work computer at the end of the day with full satisfaction of everything I had accomplished that day.
I learned and implemented several time-saving techniques—by creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), I've streamlined recurring tasks. I don't have to think about what the next step is, I simply look at my SOP. This has helped me speed up project tasks significantly.
I also have been working on creating a better daily schedule. It's not a perfect system yet, but I have noticed that I'm able to knock out a lot more tasks than I had previously. When I close out for the day, I don't walk away frustrated that I still have a huge task list. Now I'm happy to shut down the computer and walk away from my office to spend time completely focused on my family.
Another tangible benefit is I am more "proactive" rather than reactive. Previously, I spent the majority of my day putting out fires because I was behind on my tasks or I didn't have the time to see where my team was at on their tasks… only to realize they were behind as well. Then the client reached out wondering where their project was at and I had to tell them the bad news.
Now, the majority of tasks are either ahead of schedule or right on time. It's so awesome to now get "Thank you for reminding me" emails from clients, rather than "Where's my stuff" emails from clients!
My team is also working more efficiently because I'm reaching out to them earlier in the process to ensure they have everything they need to complete their tasks.”
What are the top things you learned about yourself after taking the Productivity Powerhouse e-course?
“I had to dig deep to understand the underlying problems I didn't even think I had. Once I had identified my “problem areas,” the rest of the course helped me to refine those areas for better management. This is a course I will continue to refer to when I feel my task management is going off track.
I learned [about] my personal productivity style [and how] to "chunk out time" for specific batches of tasks. I learned to step away from the computer during times of high anxiety and frustration. At first I thought this would lead me down the path of procrastination, but this new habit is so very helpful as I came back to the task more refreshed and seeing it with a different perspective.
I learned how to help my “burnout feeling.” Before, I was so overwhelmed that I simply wanted to “call in sick” for the day. Identifying tasks that “must be done” and postponing those that could be done later helped me see that my task list wasn’t quite as overwhelming as I first thought. Many times I knocked out those “must do” and had plenty of time to move forward on those I “postponed.”
My number one thing I learned (and keep having to remind myself) is to work on one task at a time. So many times I would be working through 4 - 5 client emails and just bouncing around through different client folders and tabs. This was so very unproductive!!! I now focus on one task at a time. If something comes in while I'm working on a task, I simply make a note and come back to it. I can't believe this simple little tip totally changed my anxiety level!”
What else would you like to share about your experience that might help others who want to learn how to combat hustle culture and are thinking about joining Productivity Powerhouse?
“I definitely approach my day very differently than I used to. I am more intentional in how I plan my day. I block out specific time periods to work on certain tasks. As I go throughout my day, I simply refer to my block schedule to ensure I am working on the right set of tasks at the right time. This definitely has helped my “squirrel syndrome” I was previously experiencing.
I even made sure to plan in “fire management time” to ensure I can address any major issues that have come up that were not planned for but important to do that day.
I cannot tell you how amazing it is to actually “shut off” from my workday and focus entirely on my family in the evenings. Before I would walk past my office door and be reminded of the 1001 tasks still waiting for me to complete. Now I walk past my office door without another thought because I already know I'll be ready to work the next day.
Productivity Powerhouse absolutely started me down a better, more productive path. Based on the course, I know being productive is not a one and done deal—it does require a recurring assessment. Our life changes which in turn affect our productivity. How your management plan works for one stage of your life isn't going to necessarily be the best management plan for a different stage of your life.
This course helped me realize I was trying to manage myself on what worked for me in the past, not what would work for me now based on my current role.
Thank you for this opportunity to dive into your e-course. It has definitely been a huge help in taking my overwhelm away. I can say the benefits of being able to “shut down” at the end of the day makes my family happy as well. I'm actually focused on them rather than my massive to-do list every day!
I’ve learned that being productive is so much more than marking items off a checklist. It's focusing on the right tasks, at the right time, for the right reasons. This course dives into personal assessments that are unique to you. With this knowledge, you can better understand your strengths and weaknesses and devise a “productive plan” that has you moving forward rather than in circles.
I highly recommend Productivity Powerhouse for learning the “why” behind your “productivity insufficiencies” to finally gain control of your time management. The relief you feel from actually managing your time well, rather than it managing you, is something you simply cannot put a price on!”
Thank you, Anabeth, for sharing your story about how to increase productivity in project management!
Wasn’t that a fantastic case study on productivity improvement WITHOUT hustle?
Would you love to learn how to combat hustle culture?
Do YOU want to have a great career AND a great family relationship, too?
If you are ready to *have your cake and eat it too*...
...So that you can truly enjoy an abundant work/life balance that feels wonderful, to be an awesome role model for your kids, to escape toxic productivity culture, and to level-up your productivity skills while reclaiming your energy...
Then Productivity Powerhouse is the absolute perfect fit for you, too:
