Google Expert: Boost Creativity, Say 'No' Right - Productivity Interview
Laura Mae Martin is Google’s Productivity Expert. She advises top executives on how to manage their time, flex their creative skills and set work/life boundaries.
Now, she’s sharing what she’s learned at the search giant in a new book called “Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing.”
Watch my KTLA TV segment here!
Martin had some excellent takes on modern work and why “being busy” isn’t a badge of honor. You can listen to my extended interview below, but here are the key takeaways:
1. Prioritizing Wellbeing for Productivity
- Wellbeing and productivity are not opposites but complementary
- Integrating wellbeing into your workflow enhances overall productivity
2. Morning Routine
- Take 5-10 minutes before your first commitment to do something that fills your energy tank
- This small habit can carry you through the rest of your day
3. Email Management
- Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails
- Use filters and labels to prioritize important messages
- Sort emails like laundry: empty inbox, categorize, and process in batches
4. The Importance of Downtime
- Downtime prevents burnout and allows for decompression and processing
- Research shows that people are most creative during downtime
5. Healthy Relationship with Smartphones
- Create a schedule for social media apps and set limits
- Establish a bedtime and bedroom for your phone, away from your sleeping area
- Do at least one thing before touching your phone in the morning
6. Overcoming Procrastination
- "Swiss cheese" your tasks by breaking them down into the smallest, most exciting steps
- Act like your own assistant by preparing your environment for the task beforehand
7. Saying No Gracefully
- Provide insight into your priorities and why you can't commit
- Offer resources or alternatives
- Say "not right now" and invite them to reach out again in the future
8. Setting Work-Life Boundaries
- Communicate what you do do instead of what you don't do
- Share your availability and when you can be reached
9. Optimizing Productivity When Working from Home
- Identify if you're a "home baser" (focus better at home) or an "out-fielder" (focus better outside)
- Create dedicated "hot spots" for specific tasks to help your brain associate those spaces with the activity
Full interview: