152. It’s Not the Doing, It’s The Planning with Mridu Parikh

10/19/22 • 43 min

1 Listener

We all have 100+ things on our to-do lists and probably at least 100 more things in our heads that we need to do. There’s no way to remember it all or get it all done. It’s pretty common to brain dump a list of to-do’s for the day, setting ourselves up for failure because the list is too long, we have too many distractions, and/or we simply lose momentum.

Relate much?

Well, Easily Distracted Entrepreneur, you may continue to be frustrated because you’re more focused on the list and checking things off the list than you are on the actual planning of the to-do’s. And that’s what we’re talking about this week on the podcast with productivity coach Mridu Parikh.

Listen in as we talk about the value of the brain dumps, but the power behind the planning. Mridu shares why you should only have five things on your big list and how to approach getting each of those things done. And be sure to listen through to the end, where she shares a tip that will make you feel silly but is sure to help you get that nagging task off your list.

About Mridu Parikh:

Ready to get control of all your demands? Then you need Mridu Parikh, The Stress Squasher, on speed dial. Overwhelmed women business owners work with Mridu to prioritize and systemize so they take control of their demands and distractions – at home and at work. She is passionate about getting women the results they want, whether it's doubling their revenue, losing weight, or creating stronger boundaries. Mridu is a productivity coach, founder of Life Is Organized, host of the Productivity On Purpose podcast, and author of the best-seller, Accomplish It. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Instagram.

Links and Resources:

The Power of When by Michael Breus, PhD
Join the Inner Circle
Get access to Mridu’s free productivity resources
Productivity on Purpose Podcast

Time Stamps:

[1:30] - Only two months left in the year
[4:20] - People need to deal with time and stress right now
[5:58] - Most women biz owners feel like they have to do more to be successful
[7:58] - Writing a list of what you need to do takes the discerning out of it
[9:14] - Getting it on paper is really cathartic
[11:30] - Create a gotta do it list; everything else is gravy
[12:50] - Don’t set yourself up for failure
[14:23] - Have 5 things on your list a day
[15:50] - What are the top 5 things today that will make me feel most successful when my head hits the pillow tonight
[19:56] - How to approach the list of five
[23:07] - 90% of people work better in the morning
[28:56] - The Power of When and paying attention to the rhythms of the day
[31:36] - Structure scares people
[34:27] - Anything more than one step is a project
[38:01] - How to get back on track when you find yourself floating
[39:39] - Actually state what you’re going to do out loud

Relate much?

About Mridu Parikh:

Links and Resources:

The Power of When by Michael Breus, PhD
Join the Inner Circle
Get access to Mridu’s free productivity resources
Productivity on Purpose Podcast

Time Stamps:

[1:30] - Only two months left in the year
[4:20] - People need to deal with time and stress right now
[5:58] - Most women biz owners feel like they have to do more to be successful
[7:58] - Writing a list of what you need to do takes the discerning out of it
[9:14] - Getting it on paper is really cathartic
[11:30] - Create a gotta do it list; everything else is gravy
[12:50] - Don’t set yourself up for failure
[14:23] - Have 5 things on your list a day
[15:50] - What are the top 5 things today that will make me feel most successful when my head hits the pillow tonight
[19:56] - How to approach the list of five
[23:07] - 90% of people work better in the morning
[28:56] - The Power of When and paying attention to the rhythms of the day
[31:36] - Structure scares people
[34:27] - Anything more than one step is a project
[38:01] - How to get back on track when you find yourself floating
[39:39] - Actually state what you’re going to do out loud

Previous Episode

151. More Sparkle and More Swagger with Anniedi Essien

Whether you come from a corporate background or not, trying to secure corporate clients can feel intimidating. Corporate has a stuffy, stiff reputation that may not align with the way you want to do business.

Or maybe your brand is whimsy, fun, and loud. And that’s not really what corporate looks like, does it?

But in reality, corporate is filled with human beings who all have their own personalities. So it’s not surprising that something fun and outside the box might very well be what sets you apart from someone else...and exactly what gets you hired.

That’s what this week’s guest, Anniedi Essien, found when she and a friend started a YouTube channel during the pandemic. With only 10 followers, they secured a multi-year licensing deal and corporate contract from their channel.

It’s all about the sparkle and swagger that you bring to the table, according to Anniedi. And I couldn’t agree more. Be sure to listen in!

About Anniedi Essien:

Anniedi Essien is CEO and Founder at Idem Spark where she advises business leaders on building the workforce of the future by fusing cutting edge well-being and leadership development strategies. Anniedi delivers keynotes, workshops, consulting and executive coaching programs for diverse audiences. She loves teaching top performers how to slay their well-being and career goals with powerful insights as a former corporate health and wellness executive.

Anniedi is a trusted advisor to C-level and senior leaders and was a founding member of PwC’s New Entrants and Innovators in Health consulting practice at Strategy&. She drove growth strategies, disruptive innovation, and employer driven wellness solutions for the top global brands, including Fortune 10 clients such as Walmart Health. Prior to PwC, Anniedi designed market expansion strategies for Medtronic, executed strategic partnerships for EmblemHealth, and managed corporate wellness programs for GE Energy. Her work on social determinants of health has been recognized by the American Association for World Health / World Health Organization.

With twenty years of health industry experience, workforce well-being expertise, and a people first mindset, Anniedi is passionate about human flourishing. She is a Co-Founder of Healthtech Women Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to getting more women into the C-Suite. Anniedi co-created W.I.D.E. Dynamic Dialogues to build inclusive cultures that are more responsive to the emerging needs of a diverse workforce by optimizing employee well-being.

Anniedi holds an MBA in Strategy from NYU Stern School of Business and a BA in Biomedical Ethics from Brown University. She is a foodie, yoga lover and avid karaoke enthusiast.

Links and Resources:

Time Stamps:

[2:58] - More about Anniedi
[4:39] - Shifting to work/life harmony instead of outdated work/life balance
[6:10] - The time we spend outside traditional health system has a big influence on our wellness
[8:15] - Women and folks of color experiencing burnout more than others
[9:08] - It’s hard to recognize you’ve lost your sparkle if you’re climbing the ladder
[11:20] - When you’re in that swagger, that’s when things really start to open up; but it’s scary to trust that
[13:02] - The things we shy away from are the things we need to spotlight
[18:28] - Being an accidental entrepreneur
[20:23] - How she transitioned to get the sparkle back
[21:43] - What’s your meaningful purpose?
[32:45] - Your business shouldn’t suck out your soul
[33:08] - How do you go from soul sucking to soul singing
[36:15] - Being authentic about hard parts make it so meaningful to others

Next Episode

153. Creating Momentum in Your Business

Entrepreneurship can be really challenging, especially when you’re neurodivergent. We’re responsible for our own energy and ensuring that the long to-do list we make for ourselves gets done each day or week.

But long to-do lists don’t work for our ADHD brains. In fact, they probably hinder our progress.

Instead, we need little hacks to create momentum in our business, even when (especially when) we’re just not feeling it right now. I’ve had many of those moments where my toddler brain threw a tantrum instead of getting the work done. So I’ve had to get creative on how I regroup and keep moving forward.

And sometimes, a little bit of accountability doesn’t hurt either.

Listen in this week as I share six ways you can create more momentum in your business if you’re feeling stuck right now. More momentum in business usually means feeling better in life too. Who doesn’t want that!?

Links and Resources: