Former White House Deputy Shares Top Tips on Getting Things Done | APB Speakers
21 May 2019
Called a “multi-tasking pro” in the latest edition of InStyle, New York Times best-selling author, Crooked Media contributor, keynote speaker and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco shared some top tier productivity advice. Read on. Then, triumph over your to-do list to become your own chief of staff.
Follow these top tips from the first woman to occupy the office next to the Oval Office:
- “Lean Out.” There is more to life and success than “leaning in.” Sometimes, to find your North Star, you have to lean out.
- Know who you are. Ask yourself some essential questions: When do you function best? How do you keep track of impending tasks? Do you just need a hamburger sometimes to get up and go?
- Set goals. Do you need to eat healthy? Work out? Get ahead of an upcoming project? Knowing what you have to do, how you are going to get it done, and actually doing it is the best feeling.
- Make to-do lists. Break them down by what needs to happen today, tomorrow, next week and in the long-term. Never keep it all in your head. You’ll spend too much time trying to remember what you need to do instead of actually doing it.
- Celebrate accomplishment. Gleefully put a line through each task when it’s completed. Go, you!
- Put yourself first. Be your own #1. Sometimes, being the boss of yourself requires saying no to things. Don’t feel guilty. That’s just a waste of time and energy.
- Never be too hard on yourself. Being your most productive self doesn’t necessarily boil down to waking up at 5 a.m., drinking green juice and looking perfect. When you fall short, miss the mark or when life gets in the way, forgive yourself.
When not doling out entertaining advice in her best-selling books and popular Hysteria podcast, Alyssa Mastromonaco saves some of her best material for corporate, association and college speaking events.