Meet Janeira St. Clare
Meet Janeira, an IT director for a non-profit. As someone who considers herself older than the average AE reader, she is still crushing her goals. In this video, she shares what has worked for her.
| Why Janeira Came to AE | How Janeira Used AE | Janeira’s Results |
|---|---|---|
| Janeira needed to get control of her time and the many tasks that fill her todo list each day. She follows the GTD methodology, but she needed help implementing the principles. She was searching for a holistic approach to accomplish her goals and enjoy her life. | Janeira started with the podcast. She loved it so much, she started reading the blog and joining many of the AE programs. | Janeira learned from AE helped her bridge the gap between theory and application. Now she has better mental clarity and focus, and she feels in control of her days. |
Janeira’s Story
Janeira has been working in IT for more than twenty-five years. IT Directors face unique productivity challenges. The nature of the position means you cannot set your own schedule. The typical day is filled with unplanned, unscheduled, and unexpected responsibilities. IT Directors must find clarity and focus in what can be an unpredictable, chaotic environment.
Janeira has years of job experience, but she recognized that being a productive person is not something that happens automatically. It requires an intentional effort. She came across David Allen’s book Getting Things Done, and she loved the concept of GTD. However, she struggled to implement the principles.
She needed to find something that was simple and actionable. That search led her to Asian Efficiency. What she learned from AE helped her bridge the gap between theory and application. Now she has better mental clarity and focus, and she feels in control of her days.
Intentional Steps Lead To Tangible Results
After consuming the free content available on the blog and through the podcast, Janeira recognized the quality of the Asian Efficiency resources. Janeira’s first purchase was an e-book on time management.
She had read other blogs and tried other material, but she needed something that she could easily implement into her workflow.
“Everything I saw or heard from you guys had that richness.”
The Morning Ritual Makes A Difference
If you can implement an effective morning ritual, other parts of your productivity system will get easier.
For Janeira there were two immediate tangible benefits.
First, she knew exactly what she was going to be doing and in what order. Second, the morning ritual gave her instant focus in the morning when she started her day.
A Holistic Approach To Productivity
“One thing I appreciated about the AE content from the beginning was the holistic approach. It is not just how to do a better meeting or how to be better with my to-do list. It is how to be a more efficient person to enjoy life more…to have more time for accomplishing goals and enjoying life.”
The Rituals course is a great example of how the Asian Efficiency resources were life-changing for Janeira.
Her first steps were to create her ideal morning and evening rituals, but that was just the beginning. The Rituals course includes seven vital routines that can have a positive impact on your whole life.
For a long time, Janeira wanted to incorporate the practice of meditation. She believed in its benefits, but everything she read about how to do it was out of reach. The Asian Efficiency Rituals program gave her simple actionable steps to follow. She learned a very simple process to implement a meditation practice that gave her a sense of calm and clarity for which she hoped.
“Just a few minutes a day with a very simple process could give me the benefits – the mental calm and clarity that I was hoping for.”
How do you feel when you have these rituals in place?
“I feel like I am on my game.”
If she ever misses her rituals for some reason, she feels “discombobulated” (confused and unsettled). Before she implemented the daily rituals, that was her normal state. She said, “I did not know what I was missing.” Now she realizes that she does have to feel that way all day long every day.
Can you explain how our programs are different and work for everyone not just elite performers?
Asian Efficiency always delivers content that is simple and actionable. It puts powerful productivity principles within the reach of the average person. You do not have to be an expert or an elite performer to achieve significant results.
Many programs are inspirational, but they fail to build a bridge between theory and application. Other programs create an unrealistic standard or require extreme commitments of time and resources that it is not attainable by the average person. Asian Efficiency makes it possible for anyone to follow a simple process to get immediate results and advance at their own pace without limits.
“It is very achievable, and it looks very achievable. The average person can do this. ”
How do you manage interruptions?
“The only thing that really works is to control what I can control. I can have more control over the things that I have planned…the things that I know about in advance.”
Janeira uses her “Asian Efficiency toolbox” to maximize her efficiency in every area where she has control. This gives her the freedom in her day to react to thing that are beyond her control. You can learn how to overcome distractions and stay focused even in an unpredictable environment.
How has your productivity been transformed after all you have learned?
Janeira has implemented several practices that have a positive impact on her daily workflow.
For example, here are some practical things that Janeira does to be productive every day.
- Email. I spend a lot less time in email.
- Daily Review. I do a daily review to stay on top of open loops.
- In Control. The feeling that I am on top of things. I am not going to drop anything that is important.
- Project Planning. All actionable steps are defined. Everyone involved in the project knows what the next action is for the project.
Next Steps
An important takeaway from Janeira’s story is to be intentional about taking steps. You do not have to accomplish everything in one moment, but you can make small incremental improvements over time. As Thanh said in the interview, if you have a productive morning, every other part of your productivity system will benefit.
We recommend you check the following resources on developing an ideal morning routine.
- The Scientifically Backed Morning Rituals of the Most Successful People
- Free Morning Routine Checklist
- How To Craft The Perfect Morning Ritual
- Creating The Ultimate Morning Routine
- Morning Ritual Starter Kit
Watch the entire interview:
