How Do I Do It? My Productivity Process
Plus what bestselling funny-woman Amy Poeppel is reading
The new year is often a time for resolutions, but for me, it’s about getting organized so I can jump back into things after vacation and an overly lax holiday attitude toward everything pleasurable (but not necessarily productive or healthy). So, I spend a chunk of the beginning of the year reassessing my systems, and seeing where I am with my long-term goals. I do this twice a year, at New Year’s, then again around my birthday in June. I do most of my new goal planning and yearly review around my birthday, which I find more meaningful than developing resolutions. It’s a new year of me, after all.
I have a morning routine that I developed a couple of years ago after reading Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning, which helped me change my perspective on life during a time when I felt like the cards were stacked against me. Now I can tell that when things are going really well with me, it’s because I’m sticking to this routine.
Right after I get up and get my coffee, I settle into my cozy chair where Merlin is waiting for me. I meditate (although sometimes Merle likes to chew on me, so that isn’t ideal), then I go through my affirmations, and then I journal on my Remarkable device, which I love. I use a .pdf template for that, one I picked up on Etsy. I usually journal just one page, but sometimes more, depending on what is going on in my life. I always include three things I’m grateful for that day and three intentions for the day ahead. This sets my day up for success.
Oddly, I can’t caption videos, but I love that this Sora AI video that I created has the weird typewriter outputting written print. Also, she’s not really hitting the keys. And, although it is manual, the typewriter appears to be plugged in.
In The Miracle Morning, Elrod advocates for exercise right away as well, which is great, but I need to do that later in my day because my biggest priority at this point is to write/edit for an hour. I aim for 400 words, and sometimes it’s more (especially on the weekends), and sometimes it’s less. On some rare occasions I’ll subvert that time toward other writing that is tangential to my goal as a career author, such as writing this Substack. Prioritizing this goal has enabled me to write a book a year (I wish the publishing process was as easy!).
After that, I shift into my daily work life. I use a variety of tools to help me organize tasks and information. I use a mix of old-school notes and digital platforms. I really like Ink + Volt’s Dashboard Planner. Truth be told, I love all the Ink + Volt products, but this is an item that helps me organize my week. On Sunday night or Monday morning I plan out the week ahead and list out my core tasks. I rely on Leuchtturm pocket Bullet Journals to take notes and project task lists. I like the small size, and especially for work-related notes that will eventually get tossed, they feel less substantial to let go of than a big notebook.
If you are someone who prefers to manage tasks digitally, I really think Todoist is still the best, but some of you may find apps like Twos or Superlist interesting.
I store information in a few places…very specific book-related notes and details go into Scrivener where I write my novels. But, the larger information store tends to go into two places: Notion and MyMind. I love MyMind for everything visual, but more in-depth information goes into Notion.
I often add in other tools depending on the situation, but these tend to be the core of how I manage my every day everything.
Thinking Like Leonardo da Vinci
A few years back when I shifted my blog/newsletter to be weekly, I wrote a series of posts that dove into da Vinci's Values as outlined by Michael Gelb in his 1998 book How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. It’s a great way to analyze your approach to life and be more creative in the year ahead.
What We’re Reading
I’m fascinated by what other authors are reading, so I’m going to start highlighting these picks, starting with Amy Poeppel, who was one of my fellow Debutantes in The Debutante Ball during our debut year of our books, 2017. Amy is the award-winning author of the novels Far and Away, The Sweet Spot, Musical Chairs, Limelight, and Small Admissions. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Literary Hub, and Working Mother. You can follow her on Instagram.
What I Just Finished Reading
I recently read Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley (coming March 11). I love Colleen's novels, and this one is an especially wild ride. Part thriller, part family drama, and part rom-com, Colleen's latest is a thoroughly surprising book that I could not put down.
What I Am Currently Reading
I'm reading The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis. It's about Egyptian archeology, the Met Gala, and a stolen treasure - my favorite kind of book!
What I Am Looking Forward to Reading
I am really excited to read Ina Garten's memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens. My sister just gave me this book, knowing how much I love Garten's cookbooks. I can't wait to learn more about her life.
What’s Bringing Me Joy
This wonderful explanation of Rome.
1978 Renato Zero doing something weird with triangles.
Fortunately I can keep focus, but this cracked me up.
Thanks for Joining Me
If you love food and love Italy, and haven’t read THE CHEF’S SECRET or FEAST OF SORROW, click the links to learn where to buy your copy! And now you can order IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS!
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Happy new Year, dear Crystal.... My first week of 2025 included my 81st birthday, getting
passport renewed for summer cruise lecture gigs, setting dates for next book presentations, having plumbers and workers in to repair the latest broken pipes, and renewing contracts for my daughter's apartment in Rome - after all this boring stuff, I will make my next substack post a fun one-mostly photos of Italy's tiny cars and the 3 wheeler ape cars . Hope you enjoy ...and share with Italy lovers who follow you.
I was just remarking to my husband that I would be LOST without my daily to do list, which I write out on a loose sheet of paper and then clip together with documents I might need (tickets, other lists etc) to make a more substantial but still light and flexible “packet” that I cart around with me from office to office and event to event. I especially like writing out my list in sharpie and then striking things off the list with a great colorful swipe. It’s an easy system to manage and highly visual. My office colleague (whose job includes a wild variety of to dos), does not use any kind of list system. I’d totally fail at my job and life if I did that!