Happy New Year (& Coming Events)

Happy New Year! Thank you for being part of the The Productive Woman family in 2015. I’ll be back with a new episode of the podcast next week. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know of a few live events coming up in the weeks to come, and to share some suggestions for books and a podcast to consider.

Coming Events to Start the New Year Off Right!

Podcast Guest Appearances

I’m very excited to have been invited to be a guest on Mac Power Users Live, talking about how to set yourself up for a great new year. Mac Power Users is my very favorite podcast, co-hosted by Katie Floyd, a recent guest right here on The Productive Woman. You can listen live by going to Relay.fm/live at noon Central on Saturday, January 2, 2016. If you miss it, no worries. It’ll be recorded and published as an episode of the Mac Power Users podcast, and I’ll share the link when I have it.

Live Conversations on Blab

I’ve really been enjoying opportunities to interact with others live on Blab–a relatively new online platform that allows the live video streaming of conversations and presentations. This week I participated in a Blab with a couple of productivity experts, where we talked about productivity successes and flops for 2015, working with virtual assistants, and more, while interacting with folks in the live chat room. It was a hoot. You can watch the replay here.

In the first couple weeks of 2016 I’ll be hosting or co-hosting other similar events. I do these as a way to connect with you in real time, so I hope you’ll consider joining me for one or more of these. Even if the live broadcast time is inconvenient for you, go ahead and subscribe (just click on the links below, or follow me on Blab to get updates whenever I schedule a new Blab); you’ll receive an email shortly after the event with a link for the recording, so you can watch it at your convenience. And the best part: they’re all free.

• Want to get 2016 off to a productive start? Join Mike Vardy of  Productivityist and me on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, at noon Central. We’ll talk about how we can plan and prepare to make this year the most productive and rewarding ever, and take your questions live. Join us!

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• Want a chance to talk with me and get your productivity questions answered live? On Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 7 p.m. Central, I’ll be celebrating Fan Appreciation Day by hosting a live Q&A on Blab.

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• Round two of the International Productivity Panel. Priscille Livenais of ProductivYou (France), Julie Sheranosher of Time Hackers (Israel), and I will reunite for another discussion about our best recommendations for getting the new year off to the best possible start and keeping the momentum going. Join us on Sunday, January 17, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. Central.

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Recommended Reading

One of my commitments to myself in this new year is to do more reading of books that can help me grow and improve as a person (and some that will entertain and/or inspire me). I went to the community at The Productive Woman’s Facebook page, asking for recommendations for books people found especially worthwhile this year. Following are some of their recommendations (none of which I’ve read yet), and one of my own. I’d love it if you’d share your favorite reads of 2015–or books you’re looking forward to reading in 2016–in the comments below.

• One book that has encouraged and inspired me recently is Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. The timing of my reading this book was perfect, as it provided some great food for thought on a topic I’d already begun outlining for an upcoming episode of the podcast. I’ll be sharing some thoughts from the book in episode 71 next week.
• Leann Guzman, a 2015 guest on The Productive Woman podcast, recommends One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity, by Debbie Macomber.
• Listener Olga Hernandez Wlazlek recommends Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits–to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life.
• Cindy Heil speaks highly of The Apostolic Church Arising, by Chuck Pierce & Robert Heidler.
• 2014 TPW guest Jamie Samples raves about The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business, by Mark Schaefer.
• Listener Shanna Johnson recommends BTrue2U, by Angela Lewis Warren.
• Episode 39 guest Monika Kristofferson recommends Gary Keller’s The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. This is a book I’ve heard recommended by numerous people, so I’ll definitely be reading this one soon.
• Ashley Carlson thinks we should read The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne.
• Shanna Johnson added a second recommendation: Idol Lies, by Dee Bresten.

Podcast Recommendation

Lately I’ve been finding great encouragement and wisdom in The Life Coach School Podcast, hosted by Brooke Castillo. Don’t let the title fool you: it’s not just for people who want to be life coaches. Brooke’s teaching on thoughts, feelings, actions, results have been transformative for me. Highly recommended.

Thank You, and Happy New Year!

Once again, thank you for listening to the show. I look forward to continuing the journey with you in 2016. Let me know how I can serve you as you move forward in making a life that matters. In the meantime, I offer you sincere wishes for the happiest of new years!

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