The productivity myth I had to unlearn

How I Work

If your to-do list is full but your energy is gone, this episode is for you.

In this special crossover episode from the This Is Work podcast, I sat down with Shelley Johnson to talk about energy, deep work, and why true productivity has more to do with cold water and Kindles than hustle and hacks.

I also share what’s working (and what’s not) as I write my fifth book on burnout and depletion, including the habits I’ve doubled down on, and the ones I’ve thrown out.

In this episode Shelley and I talk about:

• The counterintuitive productivity hack I use daily

• How I re-work book concepts while walking and talking to ChatGPT

• The “hall pass” rule that makes new habits actually stick

• Why minimum effort often leads to maximum energy

Key Quotes:

“So much advice out there is completely unattainable. I’m interested in what gives us energy that’s actually doable for real people.”

“It’s not about doing more. It’s about being smart with the time and energy we do have.”

“If we don’t track where our time is going, we’ll keep spending our energy on the wrong things.”

“Just splashing cold water on your face can be enough to reset. You don’t need to jump into an ice bath.”

Connect with Shelley via LinkedIn, or through Boldside’s Instagram and website. For more conversations on meaningful work, sustainable success, and showing up as your best self – check out Shelley’s podcast this is work.

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

Credits:

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

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