August 2024 Productivity Report: Use That Powerful Voice for Good… In Every Way Possible!

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Welcome to my August 2024 productivity report! If you want to catch up, check out where I started in October 2023. You’ll find November 2023 here, and December 2023 here. For this year, January 2024 is here, February 2024 is here, March 2024 is here, April 2024 is here, May 2024 is here, June 2024 is here, and July is here.

🌱 How I Felt Going into August 2024

August brought a change in seasons. I could feel it heading into the month. Even thought it wasn’t fall yet, a new era was upon me; one that would require me to use my voice in new and unexpected ways. I felt excited by the possibilities, yet a little taken aback by the unknown nature of it all.

This month, I was looking forward to connecting more deeply with a few specific people in order to really explore and strengthen those relationships. I’m happy to say that everything clicked the way I thought it would. It’s funny how sometimes you meet people and you feel like you’ve known them for years, even though it’s been mere hours. I guess that’s what happens when your spirits align.

🌻 If You Can Use Your Voice, Use It In Every Way Possible

My overall goal for this year (2024) was to become more expressive – in every way possible. I spent so many years holding my tongue for various reasons, and at the end of last year, I decided that I was done with that. That era had come to an end.

This entire year – up until now – has been one giant experiment to align myself with that overarching goal. It’s been a flexible goal, so I’m mostly aimed for improvement overall, but still. I have practiced and practiced my on-screen presence, nullified any visibility issues haunting me from the past, and made real efforts to find messages worth spreading. These productivity reports have definitely helped. In fact, I believe all of us should do them, because the insights you get from them are priceless. Continuous improvement isn’t possible without reflection and evaluation. It’s what I believe; it’s what I teach, and it’s what I preach because it DOES work.

There are so many ways we can use our voices and express ourselves. We can write articles, sing beautiful songs, vote our beliefs, participate in focus groups, or simply speak up when we witness things that aren’t right. I intend to do all of these things (and more) as much as possible in the future, and I encourage you to do the same. Words matter, and our individual voices matter. I am lucky enough to live in a community that allows free expression, so I feel like it’s my responsibility to use that opportunity to benefit the world. In other words, if you can use your voice, do it – in every way possible.

You never know which way a message is going to resonate, so you might as well diversify it to get the widest reach. That’s why I encourage you to use your voice “in every way possible.” When we apply different methods, more people have the opportunity to connect with us. That’s actually a really good business lesson. Your core message will always be the same (i.e. your mission, or why you do what you do), but the way to reach different people with that message can vary. The more you spread it out, the bigger your reach will be, so if you can think of more possible angles, formats, and methods to get your message across, you’ll find more success.

🤔 How do you use your voice?

I’d love to know, how do you use your voice, and why? Do you speak up when you disagree with others? Do you stay silent? If so, why? Let me know in the comments below!

🏆 How Productive I was in August 2024

August was my least productive month so far this year. I found myself feeling somewhat scattered, and less motivated that usual with large and expansive projects on my hands. Both of those circumstances are highly unusual for me, but I think the fact that I can feel the music industry calling me home is contributing to it. I’ve worked with artist, performers, and other creatives for many years now, but this feels different. It’s like I’m entering an period of transition and I don’t quite know how to handle being in limbo.

When you find yourself in periods like this, motivation can waver sometime. Fortunately, I have something far more consistent in my life, and that’s discipline. Motivation comes and goes, so I don’t rely on it. If it’s there, great. If not, fine. I still take on my work and complete my tasks the same way. Being able to control your mindset like that is a skill I wouldn’t trade for anything. It helps me get things done simply because they need doing, not because I feel like doing them. That doesn’t mean it’s always smooth sailing, but it’s a big part of my productivity strategy.

📁 Projects Completed 

In August, I completed three projects. All of them were large, which put me on the edge of not meeting my goal for once. I did not like that feeling, so in hindsight, I should have adjusted some of them and broken them down further. Mental note taken.

Completing three projects per month is my goal this year because it’s a nice round number and a sweet spot in terms of workload. Usually, I make that goal happen just fine. This month, it was a struggle. I didn’t break things down enough and many of my projects were just huge. I think I got a bit lazy in tracking their progress too, which is unusual for me. Oh well. I still made it, but just barely.

🚀 My Favorite Project in August 2024

My favorite project this month was a travel project. I got to spend a weekend in Montreal with friends and family. We took a roadtrip that went through Indiana and Michigan up to Toronto, through Montreal, down to New York, and then back to Chicago again. Originally, we were going to fly standby, but we changed our minds and decided to drive. I quite enjoy long road trips, so I was OK with it. I packed light, and then my husband and I both took turns driving, so it went very smoothly.

Canada is beautiful. I had never been to there before (except for one brief stopover at Pearson years ago), so I really enjoyed exploring the country views up north. My friend showed me around Montreal one day, and I got to see enough of the city to know that I want to revisit. French is a language I want to master completely fluently as well, so it was nice to practice. I have a feeling the French language is going to be a major part of my future somehow; I just don’t know how yet. Time will tell.

⏳ Hours Worked in August 2024

This month, I worked just under 80 hours, which is close to 20 hours per week. Unlike the previous two months, I did not measure any networking time. There was some of that, sure, but not to the same extent that I was networking during the summer. As such, I didn’t feel the need to measure it, and I was quite happy with just letting conversations take their natural course.

Twenty hours per week is a bit less than I should have spent working. I think the scattered feeling I alluded to earlier contributed to me not putting in as much effort. It could also just be travel fatigue since I’ve been on the road so much this year. Nevertheless, it definitely led me to struggle in finishing up those three projects.

I did re-record my course The Organizing Formula in August, but I didn’t upload it this month. As predicted, that project will not close until mid-September. I had hoped to get it done sooner, but tech trouble and re-scripting kept that off the “completed” list this month. Delays happens, but that’s part of the game. Quality control is more important, and I don’t want to compromise on that.

⌨️ Digital Images Organized in August 2024 

In August, I captured 1934 photos and videos and save 1714 of them, deleting only 220. Normally, I cull a lot more than that, but I had lots and lots of fun footage. Most of the content came from photo shoots and project management. Not so many leisure photos this time, despite the sightseeing trip. Nope, most of the files were either promo photos, album covers, or rehearsal material.

This month, I had to add a whole new category of keywords into the controlled keyword vocabulary my archive: “Songs.” Many of my friends, and now myself included, are working on releasing music, so I want to be able to find photos and videos according to what song we were working on. I think that’ll prove very useful going forward, especially for launch parties and promo tours.

I’m actually surprised at how I haven’t had that category in there before… but better late than never, I guess. 🤣

Here are some of my favorite photos from August:

Speaking of organizing photos…. At the end of August, I participated in a full-day strategy session for The Photo Managers. I am a part of their Advisory Board, and we all got together in downtown Chicago to create the vision for the organization for the next five years.

If you’d like to learn my workflow for organizing photos, join us in DPO PRO: The Ultimate Photo Organizing Masterclass. In it, we cover the entire digital photo organizing process, plus go in depth on the three most popular software options on the market: Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, and Apple Photos.

👟 Steps Walked in August 2024 

In August, I walked a total of 224,552 steps, which breaks down to about 7243 steps a day. Did I make it past 5000 steps every single day? No, but pretty darn close. My goal is to make the 5000 steps such a common, no-brainer, occurrence that I don’t even have to worry about measuring it. We’re slowly getting there.

This month, I didn’t pay attention to this goal the way I would normally do. I didn’t specifically put the intention out every single day. Instead, I wanted to see what would happen if I just go about my day-to-day as if there was no goal in place. Would it drop significantly right away? or am I actually on track to make this amount of activity a part of my normal routine?

Testing myself like that lets me gauge just how much transformation is really happening, so I kept the Pacer app turned on, but didn’t really look at it until the month had passed. I was pleasantly surprised to see that, yes, this is becoming a natural part of my life. The habit has formed and is holding strong. That is success worth celebrating. A few more months, perhaps, and I think I’ll have this locked in. 💪🏻

BTW, if you haven’t tried the Pacer app yet, get it here. It’s been great for keeping track of my progress. I am not affiliated with them, but I want to give them a shoutout anyway for a helpful product!

🍋 Home-Cooked Meals in August 2024

I did much better in August than I did over the summer for home-cooked meals, with the final percentage coming in at 68%. Still not quite reaching my target of 75%, but a big jump from the previous months. Once again, it was being on the road that made the difference. As always, we had breakfasts ready to go, but for most lunches and dinner, we went out.

Since I don’t forsee my travel schedule slowing down much over the next few months, I may have to come up with some simpler “home-cooked” recipes that I can take on the road. And that’s the type of strategizing you have to do when you know there’s a variable somewhere you can’t control. We focus on what we can control, and in this case, it comes down to better meal planning for travling. Meal prepping at home is easy because you know where to shop and what ingredients are available. It’s tougher on the road in a place you’ve never been before…so more research to the rescue. Stay tuned for a plan!

🎧 Books & Learning in August 2024

For August, I listened to the audiobook version of The Algebra of Happiness by Scott Galloway. It was an interesting listen overall. The author was somewhat self-deprecating and sarcastic and I do enjoy a bit of that. Some people might find it tedious, but I think it’s quite relatable when an author doesn’t claim to have all the answers. As an NUY professor, Galloway points out a few of the basics, like showing up on time, doing your best, and having manners. Common sense stuff, but he says it in a way that makes it feel fresh and interesting. It’s worth a listen, especially for the younger generations.

All of us want to pursue the best in life… Love. Happiness. Meaning. And if you need a little boost, this will be a worthwhile read for you. To my contentment, this was a book that you could easily listen to in audio format. I do prefer that because I habit-stack quite a bit. I’ve realized that fiction books are much more enjoyable in the traditional format, but self-help and non-fiction work better over audio – at least for me.

☕️ Meaningful Conversations in August 2024

In August, I continued my hiatus from online catchups because I spent enough time in amazing conversations with people offline. I had about 14 different meaningful conversations in August (several VERY DEEP ones), so I surpassed my goal of three by far. I’m really enjoying the deeper connections and getting to know people beyond the surface level. We are all so multi-faceted, and we all deserve to create deeper connections with each other – to be truly heard and fully seen. Taking the time to do that is something I’m very particular about at this stage in my life. It’s time well spent.

If you’re on my mailing list, fear not – the very Swedish FIKA with Caroline slots are not going away. They’re just taking a break. I’m bringing them back in September.

⭐️ Success Celebrated in August 2024 

August reignited me my passion for singing. A series of what innocent bystanders might call coincidences connected me with someone who I am now collaborating with on a song, to be released sometime later this year. And that’s worth celebrating because I haven’t let myself be heard like that in close to two decades now. Another friend also gave me a new nickname: “Dreamcatcher” (because I always go after what I want), and I’m now thinking that’ll be the name of my first album.

I have always love singing, and I even considered making it my career at one point in time. But then I realized that what I really love is talent management and A&R, and so that’s what I decided to go to school for instead. That being said, production of all types is a passion of mine, and I do want to express myself through song as much as possible. It doesn’t have to be my main “job,” but it will be a significant outlet for me going forward, I’m sure. The best producers are also artists, and I believe the best creatives are well rounded. Even if it just becomes another way for me to enjoy life, I’m all in.

I can’t reveal much more about any of this just yet… but I’ll fill you in when the time is right. For now, just know that I’m warming up a muscle that has been dormant for far too long.

😍 This Month’s Favorite Hubs, Tools, Services, & Products

What hubs, tools, products, and services do I use to be more productive? A great question! In an effort to be really transparent, I have a few recommendations below. Some of these are affiliates links, others are not, but I would recommend them regardless – they’re just awesome. Check them out!

Here’s my list of things I loved in August 2024:

• Notion → Where would I be without Notion? Not anywhere close to where I am now, that’s for sure. I run my entire life and business in Notion, so I wholeheartedly recommend this platform. We hosted a Building in Notion (for Beginners) event some time ago, and the replay is available for purchase.
• Airtable → We have used Airtable for many years now – as our main hub before Notion, and now for student-facing databases, external editorial calendars, and intake forms. Love it!
• Forever → This is good platform for storing photo archives. I invested in this company when they were a startup a decade ago, and it has only gotten better since then. We have a workshop coming up on it this year, so stay tuned for more info on that.
• ShowIt → Love ShowIt! It’s the most flexible and best website platform out there, IMO. Plus, it’s run by nice people, which is a plus. I just renewed my own subscription.
• Convertkit → This has been my email system for seven years now, and I love it. It’s so easy to use, and I love that I can keep my subscribers organized and properly segmented with just a few clicks.
• Lightroom Classic → This is a program I’ve been using for two decades. I teach it and several other solutions in my course DPO PRO. Join us to learn how to use it!
• Teachable → I’ve been a loyal customer with Teachable since back in the early Fedora days, which says a lot about how much I like their platform. It’s a great place to host your courses.
• Circle → Circle is easy to use for everyone – from students to coaches to guests. We love it as our community hub. It stands well on its own, but also integrates nicely with Teachable (see above).
• Trackabi → My new time-tracking platform, which is working out wonderfully so far.
• Toggl → I’ve just switched away from Toggl, but that won’t stop me from recommending it. It’s a great tool to use for time-tracking. The free account can do a lot!
• Audible → I love my Audible subscription for when I’m getting my steps in, and I recommend trying it out if you want to get your learning on. Sign up for a free 30-day trial through my link to get a free book (or 2 free credits if you’re an Amazon prime member!) – cancel anytime!
• Secret → This is a wonderful place for finding deals on software hubs and tools. Who doesn’t love to save some $$$? Invest a little, save a lot! I’ve saved thousands.
• Grove Collaborative → Love my Grove subscription! It saves me so much time because I can restock all my household needs easily. They write sweet messages on each box too! So cute. Get a free gift set by signing up through my affiliate link!
• Almond Cow → In 3 minutes, you can have fresh nut milk. What’s not to love? I miss it so much when I travel. It’s the best thing I’ve ever bought for my kitchen, hands down.
• Nuuly → I get so much use out of Nuuly (my rotating closet subscription service). It’s like shopping, except you never get tired of it. 🙌🏻 Highly recommended! Use my link to save $ on your first order.
• Taja → I really like this AI-driven platform for optimizing YouTube videos. It’s a great starting point for coming up with attention-grabbing headlines, descriptions, keywords, and more.
• Wise → Banking as a digital nomad and international service provider can be a bit tricky, but lately, I’ve enjoyed using Wise to make things easier. If you’re a nomad or course creator, take note.
• Harney & Sons → My favorite tea supplier in the US. They have outstanding quality teas for all tastes and budgets, and they’ve worth trying out! Save $10 on your order using this link.

🫖 Tea of the Month

This month, I’m highlighting Harney & Sons Jasmine Dragon Pearls. These rolled leafs of joy are my number one staple that I cannot live without. Normally I get the loose variety, but I have started investing more into the sachet packs because they’re already measured and I can travel with them. That’s a big plus! Even though, there are portable kettles and tea steepers out there for travel purposes, I haven’t really found one that works for me. With sachet packs, I can simply get hot water somewhere and make it work.

H&S Jasmine Dragon Pearls Sachets

Yield: 12 Oz

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

A combination of green and white tea infused with jasmine flowers, and rolled into little pearls.

Print

Instructions

1. Heat water to around 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pour over 1 sachet of tea
3. Steep for 3 minutes (pr longer for stronger tea)
4. Enjoy!

Notes

Purchase this tea from Harney & Sons' Website.

📐 Measure What Matters

Thanks for reading this report til the end! I hope you enjoyed it. Please remember that productivity is very personal, and you DO NOT have to track the same metrics that I do. Your goals and metrics could be quite different from mine, and that’s OK.

If you’d like to understand where you should be focusing your attention, join us in an upcoming Quarterly Planning Workshop to identify your own goals.

🎬 Prefer to Watch This Report?

• About the Author
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Caroline Guntur Organizing & Productivity Coach

Hi there! I’m Caroline, and I’m here to help you get organized and be more productive, so that you can live better and have time for what matters.

www.theswedishorganizer.com

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