Featured in this week’s episode of The Productive Designer host Crystal Collinson chats with Focusologist, Penny Zenker.
Penny is, an international speaker, business strategy coach, and best-selling author of the book “The Productivity Zone” which was an instant Amazon Best Seller. And her TEDx, “The Energy of Thought”, has gained attention around the world. She is featured on NBC News, Forbes, Inc, ESPN, and Wharton Business Radio among others.
In this episode, Crystal and Penny discuss how we need to bring awareness to life and works’ distractions or how and why we lose focus. Penny explains how can we start to take steps towards being more focused. And being more intentional with where and how we direct our attention.
Crystal believes habitual change is tough, and it is going to take a real effort to make these changes happen.
What is a “Focusologist”?
Penny explains what a Focusologist is, it is someone who focuses is on the right things at the right time. It is someone who studies and practices the art of controlling and directing the energy of our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions to produce a positive, meaningful result. At the simplest, it’s the art of studying how to focus so that we get the results that we want.
She emphasized that humans are a thousand times more driven away from pain than we are towards pleasure. Where, avoiding the pain by doing almost anything other than what we are supposed to do.
Crystal asks how Penny works and what are methods she uses to help people to stay focused. Penny mentioned that the first step is awareness. She has a distraction quiz. Where she invites everybody to take a look at. And find out whether they’re a squirrel or a time zombie. What the quiz meant to do is to create that heightened awareness as to what’s distracting us. People should be aware that we’re being distracted. And, that we’re impulsively behaving in a certain way.
Listen in on this episode where Crystal and Penny talked about the ways how to focus and be a little bit more productive. And, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for”. And learn to notice what your triggers are for losing focus.
How to reach Penny:
Website: pennyzenker360.com I LinkedIn: pennyzenker I Facebook: PennyzPerspective
Mentioned Resources: Distraction quiz
Books: Productivity-Zone-Stop-Tug-Time by Penny Zenker and Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually by Jon Mark Comer
Recommended podcasts: Tim Ferriss and Brene Brown