Category Archives: diligence

What to Do When You’re Motivated to Do Nothing

Posted on October 31, 2022 | Comments Off on What to Do When You’re Motivated to Do Nothing

There’s no shortage of things to do, whether at home or in the workplace. If we don’t take action and make steady progress, we stay stagnant and fall behind.

But there will be days when we feel like doing nothing.

Do we need to buck up and get moving as quickly as possible? Or do we need to sit with the feeling, and slow down and rest?

What to do depends on the reasons you’re unmotivated and unproductive.

In episode 59 of The Incrementalist, you will learn:

1) The Procrastination Equation, a formula by Dr. Piers Steel that helps explains why you feel unmotivated and why you procrastinate.

2) 10 tips to get out of a mental slump and motivation rut.

To learn more by reading the transcript, go here.

To listen to What to Do When You’re Motivated to Do Nothing, click here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist podcast at Apple Podcasts or other apps if you’re an auditory learner.

Watch the video on our YouTube channel, The Incrementalist – A Productivity Show. And subscribe to the show if you’re a visual learner. This will help the show grow and reach you and others who want to create big changes in small steps.

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

The Truth About Productivity Advice and Toxic Productivity

Posted on August 18, 2022 | Comments Off on The Truth About Productivity Advice and Toxic Productivity

Toxic productivity occurs when you apply habits, routines and practices that are prescribed for someone else. Some of the productivity advice are hacks, tricks and tips that won’t work for you. They just don’t match with your mindset, preferences and season of life.

In episode 58 of The Incrementalist, you will learn:

1) The truth about productivity advice and toxic productivity.

2) 5 universal principles or basic rules to apply in any productivity practice. 

3) 7 common mistakes to avoid when moving from being unproductive to productive. 

To learn more by reading the transcript, go here.

To listen to episode 58, The Truth About Productivity Advice, click here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist podcast at Apple Podcasts or other apps if you’re an auditory learner or want to develop your active listening skills.

Watch the video on our YouTube channel, The Incrementalist – A Productivity Show. And subscribe to the show to help it grow and reach you and others who want to create big changes in small steps. If you’re a visual learner who knows how to manage your online consumption, you will benefit the most from being a regular viewer of the YouTube channel!

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in communication, competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

The Power of Slow Living and Doing Less, But Better

Posted on July 20, 2022 | Comments Off on The Power of Slow Living and Doing Less, But Better

Harness the power of slow living and practice the slow philosophy. This is how you break the obsession with doing more faster and, instead, do the right things at the right speed.

On the road of life, there are twists and turns, hills and valleys. We can map out and plan our journey. But even then, we can’t always see what’s ahead of us in a given moment. And slowing down is the only way to move ahead.

In episode 57 of The Incrementalist, you will learn:

1. The benefits of slowing down to move ahead.

 2. Seven steps to slow, productive living. 

To listen to episode 57, The Power of Slow Living and Doing Less, But Better, click here. If you prefer to read the transcript, go here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist at Apple Podcasts or other apps.

Watch the video on episode 57 on our YouTube channel, The Incrementalist – A Productivity Show. You will see video clips of my recent travel to my home country, Jamaica, a tropical island in the Caribbean. Taking extended breaks is not always easy, but it’s one of the steps to slow living and doing less, but better!

Subscribe to the YouTube channel, The Incrementalist – A Productivity Show, to help it grow and reach you and others who want to create big changes in small steps.

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

5 Things to Start Doing to Finish Your Goals

Posted on June 2, 2022 | Comments Off on 5 Things to Start Doing to Finish Your Goals

If you have trouble finishing projects and goals, you’re not alone. This is a common human experience. But there are 5 things you can do to finish strong with any project or goal.

In episode 56 of The Incrementalist, you will learn:

1. The limits of willpower, better habits, and more refined systems.

2. The 5 things to start doing to finish your goals.

To listen to episode 56, 5 Things to Start Doing to Finish Your Goals, click here. If you prefer to read the transcript, go here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist at Apple Podcasts or other apps.

Watch the video on episode 56, especially if you’re a visual learner!

Subscribe to the YouTube channel, The Incrementalist – A Productivity Show, to help it grow and reach you and others who want to create big changes in small steps.

The Incrementalist YouTube channel is inching toward a milestone, with the last video, How to Stay Focused and Control Your Attention, giving it a boost.

As of this date, it has 91 subscribers, and needs 100 to get a custom url on YouTube. (The default url is impossible to remember and a custom url allows us to tailor it to the name of the show.)

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

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How to Stay Focused and Control Your Attention

Posted on May 13, 2022 | Comments Off on How to Stay Focused and Control Your Attention

Your ability to focus on deep work is key to being productive. Your power to connect ideas is vital to being creative. Whether you’re focusing or mind wandering, you need to direct your attention to perform at your peak.   

In episode 55 of The Incrementalist, you will learn:

1) The difference between Hyperfocus and Scatterfocus and why you need both modes of focus to control your attention.

2) Mind wandering is not a problem if you have meta-awareness or metacognition, i.e., to be aware of your awareness or to pay attention to your attention.

3) The three types of attention – the Flashlight, the Floodlight, and the Juggler   – that coordinate with each other to affect your state of focus.

4) 4 tips to build your focus muscle and direct your attention:
i.  Define your priority and focus on one thing at a time
ii. Tame the distractions and interruptions that dilute your focus
iii. Match the challenge with your skills or ability
iv. Allow mind wandering with intention

To listen to episode 55, How to Stay Focused and Control Your Attention, click here. If you prefer to read the transcript, go here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist at Apple Podcasts or other apps.

Watch the video on episode 55, which caught the attention of the YouTube algorithm and became a recommended video for viewers to find more easily.

Breaking the YouTube barrier in this way is a major milestone that is difficult to reach — and was done through incremental learning and tweaking in the creation process. At this time, The Incrementalist is still (proudly) a very small channel.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel, The Incrementalist – A Productivity Show, to help it grow and reach you and others who want to create big changes in small steps.

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

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