Ep144: Redefining What It Means to Be “Productive” (and Aligning Your Values With Your Time) | with Tamara Torres

Optimize Yourself

In my Optimizer coaching & mentorship program I teach my students that in order to enjoy their work (and not end up burning out) it’s imperative that they learn how to work smarter and not harder. Most people who teach “productivity” are simply sharing strategies that allow people to run on the hamster wheel faster and more efficiently. I prefer to teach people how to be more effective with their time and energy so what they have on their to-do list actually matters.

Today's guest, Tamara Torres, is the founder of Optima Results Coaching (I swear the name similarity is all coincidence!) where she teaches practical solutions to improve habits, increase productivity, and create time and energy for what matters most. Her background in psychology, integrative medicine, and meditation give her a holistic approach to not only coaching clients to successful careers but teaching them to also build more fulfilling, well-balanced lives beyond their jobs.

In our conversation Tamara shares her insights and strategies for aligning your values with your time and explains how they are ultimately much more connected to your productivity than your apps, to-do lists, or your calendar. As an added bonus you'll hear her turn the tables when she puts ME on the hot seat! I share how my habit of always searching for a better way has led to great success but also great detriment. She offers her analysis and some important questions for me to consider to more accurately align my (exceedingly high) expectations with reality.

If you’re looking for a better way to manage your day, your energy, and your life to find a version of “productivity” that works for you, this is the place to begin.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• How the death of Tamara's father led to her becoming a productivity coach.
• Why Tamara’s diverse background in health and her naturopath degree helped shape her coaching style.
• What Tamara means when she talks about Productivity with Heart.
• Why your values are connected to productivity.
• Using your calendar to check that your values are aligned with your time.
• Why scheduling intentional time with family is critical for building strong relationships.
• Defining the difference between quantity of time and quality of time.
• What a time audit is and why you should try it for two weeks.
• What is a season of sacrifice and how can you apply it to your life?
• How setting proper expectations can help alleviate stress in the family and at work.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: Create a ritual at the end of your workday to smooth the transition to family.
• Understanding your chrono type and how to make it work for you.
• How I learned to manage my energy and time to get my work done on Cobra Kai.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: Be willing to say no to things that aren't in alignment with your values.
• What is Parkinson’s law and how can you use it to your advantage?
• The power of the Pomodoro Method and time blocking your day.
• How I overcame perfectionism and reset my circadian rhythms
• I put myself on the hot seat and Tamara coaches me on my workaholic tendencies.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: Perfectionists should work on progress over perfection and practicing gratitude can help alleviate the perfectionist tendency.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

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Guest Bio:

Tamara Torres founded Optima Results Coaching to help busy professionals take their lives to the next level without sacrificing balance. She draws on a background in psychology and integrative medicine, along with 10,000+ coaching interactions and 20 years of meditation practice. Tamara teaches practical solutions to improve habits, increase productivity, and create time and energy for what matters most.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).