April 2025 Productivity Report: When the Timing is Right, the Solution Arrives

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Welcome to my April 2025 productivity report! To backtrack, check out where I started in October 2023. You’ll find November 2023 here, and December 2023 here. For 2024, January is here, February is here, March is here, April is here, May is here, June is here, July is here, August is here, September is here, October is here, and November is here, and December is here. January 2025 is here, February 2025 is here, and March 2025 is available here.

🌱 How I Felt About April 2025

April was a fairly turbulent month for me in all aspects of life. There were lots of very high highs, but also a lot of low lows, which is highly unusual. Oh well. It brought to like this month’s title, so I can’t be too mad at it. Some lessons – even though difficult – are worth learning. And the timing is always impeccable.

🌻 When the Timing is Right, the Solution Arrives

Solutions arrive on time, not on demand. If this month taught me anything at all, it’s this. This is a really frustrating truth to accept, but the sooner we do, the better. Not all problems are ready to be solved immediately. Timing is everything.

From a personal development standpoint, we all have things to work on. And those issues tend to show up in life as well as in business. In fact, there’s a popular quote that goes “all business problems are personal problems in disguise.” When we have either money mindset beliefs, a lack of self-esteem, boundary problems, or other unresolved issues, it tends to manifest itself in the way we do business. You don’t see it yourself, of course, but it’s obvious to anyone with a bit of awareness. The best way to get ahead is to avoid problems altogether, but unfortunately, that’s a difficult thing to do.

Prevention is a tough sell. In most cases, you don’t know there’s a problem until it hurts. Should we all be more on top of things? Sure, but with everything else life offers you on the plate, who has the time? I see this all the time in my business. Clients only reach out when they’re experiencing a problem, and yet they’re rarely ready for the solution at that point. It’s not for a lack of wanting it, but because it’s still pretty early on, they don’t seem to want to do the work to fix it.

Hitting rock bottom is a necessary step for change. I wish it wasn’t so, but action tends to come when you finally understand that no one else is going to save you. I guess it’s human nature to want to explore if there is any possibly hope for a shortcut. Usually, there isn’t one. That realization can take a moment, and that timing can’t be rushed.

Additionally, understanding what’s at the root of a problem often takes time. Just like how a doctor needs to do a thorough examination to find out why there are certain symptoms, we have to take the time to fully comprehend a problem before we can solve it. This is somewhat counter-intuitive because when you’re in pain, you naturally want to fix it as soon as possible. But when we rush to fix something prematurely, we often address symptoms only, and not the root cause.

Finally, urgency often masquerades as importance. When we’re pressured, we reach for fast fixes that give the illusion of progress. But clarity can’t be forced; it comes when the mind is calm and when you’ve reflected enough on a particular issue. Things needs breathing room. Space. Paradoxically, some of our best solutions come after we stop forcing an answer. This is incredibly frustrating, and another reason why rock bottom is necessary. When the only way is up, that’s when you’re ready.

The next you look for an answer, ask yourself: Is the timing right? Am I really ready for the solution? Probably not. Only hindsight will tell you.

🤔 What problem are you currently trying to solve in your business, and how does it show up in your personal life?

Let me know in the comments below!

🏆 How Productive I was in April 2025

April was a slow month for me in terms of productivity. I completed more than enough projects, but overall, I can’t say that I did a great job working on them. In fact, the entire month felt fatigued. I rarely procrastinate – ever – but I found myself dragging my feet. I didn’t feel like working at all. Again, highly unusual for me. 🤔

Any time you notice resistance of any kind – whether it’s towards work, projects, or anything else, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on why it’s showing up. There’s a lot of wisdom in it. In my case, it seems that the projects I was working on were OK (albeit not the most exciting), but my mood was inconsistent because of what was going on in my personal life. I was missing my friends a lot, and it did make a huge difference for me. As you’ve heard me say before: “What happens at work usually has nothing to do with work at all…” Sometimes, I hate being right.

📁 Projects Completed in April 2025

This month, I completed six projects. That’s double my goal, so I’m more than satisfied with that result. The fact that I was able to complete all of them, even while being in a sour mood, is a testament to my work ethic. That being said they weren’t very enjoyable, and that’s a problem. More reflection is needed here on exactly why I felt that way, so that I can avoid this particular situation again. I suspect the winds of change might have something to do with it, but let’s see.

🚀 My Favorite Project in April 2025

My favorite project was presenting my breakout “Scaling Up” for The Photo Managers annual conference in San Diego, California. Not what I would have predicted at all because I felt like there were other projects that were better candidates… but then when I was live in the room, I suddenly remembered how much I love presenting. I used to do much more of it, and now I know that I should do more of it in the future.

I’ve already accepted an offer to return at the next conference (which will be in Boston), so I know there’s more opportunities down the line for me… and I’m also proud to say that my presentation was voted one of the top ones overall, which means that it’ll be featured during virtual conference soon. Always nice to know that one’s work is appreciated.

⏳ Hours Worked in April 2025

In April, I worked close to 52 hours, which breaks down to about 13 hours a week. Ouch. That’s far from my goal of 25 hours per week. Half, in fact. So what happened here? Well, I’m not sure yet. It sure didn’t feel like half; it felt more like double. Hmm.

The alarm bells should be going off here, but let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. I’m going to monitor this for another two months or so before I make a decision on how to approach it. It could be burnout, but it could also just be leftover fatigue from a lot of heavy traveling. Time will tell.

⌨️ Digital Images Organized in April 2025 

This month brought me 1678 new files, and I deleted 93 of them, leaving me with 1585 memories to add to my collection. The majority of them were from my San Diego trip. Between all the surfing, speaking at the TPM Conference, and eating my first s’more, it was a really great time. I may cull a bit more, but all in all, it was a nice month for photography.

Here are just a few fun snapshots from April:

Photos is one of the reasons why I love traveling so much. Exploring new places, new faces, and new ideas is so fun and so rewarding… but the memories is what makes it all worth it. The interactions you have with people along the way makes the journey of life so much more fulfilling. And everyone is worth capturing in some form or another. I just love it.

With a lot of photos comes a lot of responsibility, so if you’re not sure how to manage your photos, be sure to join us in DPO PRO: The Ultimate Photo Organizing Masterclass. We cover how to choose your programs, how to organize your phots, and we have tutorials on the entire process in Photo Mechanic, Apple Photos, and Adobe Lightroom Classic.

👟 Steps Walked in April 2025 

This month, I walked 260,941 measured steps. That’s well above my goal of 5K steps per day, so I can be happy with that result. This year, I’ve really been committed to this goal – more so than in the past, and I can only contribute that to the title of this particular productivity report: when the timing is right, the solution appears. It seems I have finally found the right solution.

What is that solution? I hear you asking… Well, I have re-arranged my schedule once again (timing, anyone?)… 🤣 Now, I do my morning workout early (around 4 – 5 AM) with fair bit of walking, running, and dancing, and then I go for a longer walk in the afternoon (around 4 PM). That gives me two opportunities for working out rather than one, and so far, that’s working. It lets me split up the effort when I need to, and it also helps me catch up in case I didn’t do enough early on. In this case, double the effort seems to equal double the results. Boom. 💥

📣 Language Progress in April 2025

This month, I learned 17 new words in French, which is just above my goal of 15 per month. As I mentioned last month, I’ve decided to stick with French for the entire year in order to deepen my vocabulary and really get into it. So far, it’s working, but given that April was a slow month, I took my time here.

It’s also the first month I’ve taken a pause from DuoLingo in favor of just speaking with real people. I’ll get back to my app at some point, but for now, I’m actually enjoying live conversations more. Yes, I know that the app can do that too, but with native-speaking friends, there’s no need to go there. Once again, the timing for doing that is just right. The app is freaking out though…. 🤣

🎧 Books & Learning in April 2025

This month, I listened to the audio version of “How to start a record label“ by Scott Orr (via Audible). Am I going to start a record label? No, I don’t see that happening anytime soon. However, I was curious about the niching approach of the author since it was a short listen – only about 1 hour and 45 minutes. How deep could a short book like that possibly be? I wondered.

As I suspected, the book was an extremely broad, high-level view of the process; in fact, much too broad for someone like me who has built a business before. It started with the pillars if building a business, including picking a name, finding a target audience, and building a brand. Then, it went into how to capture leads and launching campaign, and so on… before moving into more specific industry practices like distribution and publishing. There were a total of 30 chapters, but they were only about 3 minutes each (on average), so they didn’t have a chance to get into specifics on any given thing.

Would I recommend it? Sure, if you have no business-building experience and want a quick start. In that scenario, this book would be a perfect place to start. However, if you have any business experience from another profession or career, you can skip it without a guilty conscience.

☕️ Meaningful Conversations in April 2025

I am still not offering up any FIKA with Caroline rounds. In its place, I am having frequent and very deep conversations with friends and close collaborators, which right now is taking priority over everything else. I’m gonna try and bring these sessions back at some point, but for now, they’re on hiatus while I’m traveling. It’s all in the timing.

⭐️ Success Celebrated in April 2025 

This month, I want to celebrate the third Masterclass that I co-hosted with my colleagues Darla DeMorrow and Jill Yesko-Diana for The Photo Managers. This year’s cohort was nicknamed the Shine Bright cohort, and shone bright they did. Everyone was a delight to coach, and made such huge strides in their business development. I’m always honored to be able to help budding entrepreneurs take steps in the right direction. The first few years in business can be such a rollercoaster of emotions, and the more you can get guidance, the easier it is.

This will likely be the last Masterclass in this configuration – at least for the foreseeable future. All three of us Coaches have different future goals in mind, which makes it all the more important to celebrate our achievements together. We will definitely continue to collaborate in some ways, but possibly for different audiences.

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

What hubs, tools, products, and services do I use to be more productive? Lots and lots. In an effort to be really transparent, I have some of my recommendations below. Some links are affiliates links, others are not, but either way, I’d recommend them. Feel free to reach out if you have questions on any of them.

Here’s my list of things I loved this month:

• 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. Great for memory-keeping!
• 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 not too long ago.
• Convertkit → Convertkit is now simply Kit, and I’m not really used to that change yet. I’ll come around, but I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be calling it Convertkit for a while still. Change is hard. 🤣
• 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.
• 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. Great deals for the new year too!
• 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, unless i bring it… It’s the best thing I’ve ever bought for my kitchen, hands down.
• Nuuly → This is so much fun. I just love renting new stuff each month. It’s a creative way to try thing you never would have picked up otherwise. 🙌🏻 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.
• Canva → I love using this graphic design platform for a wide variety of marketing materials. I also feature it in some of our workshops, for example The People Index.
• Backblaze → A cornerstone of the solid digital ecosystem is a proper backup, and I just love how easy this service is to use. For just a few dollars per year, you get full computer backups and easy retrieval. It’s by far the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy. Highly recommended in DPO PRO.
• SparkLoop → A recommendations network for content creators and email marketers that’s fun and easy to use. I have it integrated with my ConvertKit account.
• Music Mastery Hub → Kai “Verse” Tyler is one of the most generous people in the entertainment industry, so for anyone interested in learning more about the business of music, I recommend joining his online school for mentorship and guidance. I’m proud to be an affiliate.

🫖 Tea of the Month

Since summer is upon us, I’m highlighting an ice tea this month: Art of Tea’s Summer Peach. I love ice tea just as much as hot tea, but it’s harder to find a nice quality that isn’t sugary, syrupy, or too sweet in general. Peach teas make for excellent cold brews since they’re light and airy, yet flavorful, and this one in particular is a favorite of mine. It doesn’t beat my favorite still (Jasmine green), but it comes close enough for me to recommend it. I hope you try it!

Summer Peach Ice Tea

Yield: 1 Cup

From Art of Tea: A perfectly balanced peach black tea. Our organic Summer Peach tea features the bright, crisp, and oh-so-sweet flavor of sun-ripened summer peaches, counterbalanced by the bold and brisk notes of our premium Classic Black tea.

Print

Instructions

1. Put one peach tea bag into a 2 quart iced tea pitcher

2. Add some ice

3. Fill with purified water and let sit for a few minutes

4. Enjoy!

Notes

Get this tea from Art of Tea's online shop.

📐 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.

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• 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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