Wow, 2016 sure is flying by! I’m writing this at the beginning of April and it’s crazy to think we’re already entering the second quarter of the year. There are signs of the beginning of autumn now in New Zealand. It’s getting colder in the mornings and darker earlier in the evenings.
KEY STATS
- I worked for approximately 71 hours on my side-business this month. That’s about 17 hours a week. Not bad…
- Website sessions are up over 9.5%, users up over 7.5% and page views over 10%.
- At the time of writing this, I have 8,727 subscribers, that was an increase of 1,199 in the last month (about 39 per day).
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Focusing more on coaching
This month I made an effort to focus more on productivity coaching and have been working with my first few clients. It’s even really rewarding to help people at a one-on-one level and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about how people like to work and what it means to be productive.
You can now book coaching sessions, and if you’re interested, feel free to book a free 30-minute introductory call so we can meet and talk about whether coaching is a good option for you.
2. Cranked the podcast up a notch
Last month I invested into some new podcasting gear to crank up the quality of the Productivity Podcast. I’m now using the following podcasting gear to record my shows:
- Neewer NW–700 Condenser Microphone & NW–35 Adjustable Suspension Stand with Shock Mount and Mounting Clamp Kit.
- Behringer Xenyx 302USB Mixer.
- Your Cable Store XLR 3 Pin Microphone Cable (6 feet).
To celebrate, last week I published 5 quick-fire episodes to answer your productivity questions:
- What productivity principles can you apply to personal finance?
- What’s the best new app you’re using to be more productive?
- How can you be more efficient with health and fitness?
- How do you find the motivation to do work?
- How do you avoid feeling guilty during down time?
3. Finished the CrossFit Open
At the start of the year, I took up CrossFit. Initially, I started as a way of training for long-distance runs, but as with most people who start CrossFit, I’m now really hooked and can’t get enough of the workouts. This month we had the CrossFit open and it was probably one of the toughest physical (and mental) challenges I’ve undertaken.
I’m really enjoying the CrossFit workouts and I’ve definitely noticed an overall improvement in my strength and energy levels. Put it this way, I can work for 15 hours a day and maintain a high level of focus, without crashing… that’s something I don’t think would be possible without looking after your body.
IMAGE: Courtesy of Sarah at our gym. This was the final workout, 16.5, where we had to complete 21–18–15–12–9–6–3 of thrusters and burpees over the bar.
4. Hayley and I celebrated 1 year of marriage
On March 28th, Hayley and I passed 1 year of marriage. In the last year we’ve finished the improvements to our house, had an amazing time in Bali and purchased our first investment property.
As pretty motivated people, we’ve been talking a lot about what we want to do in the next few years and what we want our life to look like. We’ve planned to take some time off next year to go and travel and we’re taking steps now to make this happen.
IMAGE: Here’s Hayley enjoying a Matcha Latte at Little Bird Unbakery where we had a delicious anniversary breakfast.
OTHER STUFF
I’ve successfully been having cold showers for 22 days in a row. If you’re interested in learning how cold showers can benefit your health, have a read of the scientific study by Rhonda Patrick.
I’m also reading more than I was simply by tracking my habits better.
What were your major achievements last month? Be sure to share your wins with me by commenting below!