Time Management

Christian Bjelland – Club Alfred

# Episode 155

**Summary:**

In Episode #155 Ari speaks with Christian Bjelland of [Club Alfred](https://www.helloalfred.com/), the new task take-down service that’s revolutionizing the way people approach getting chores, errands and other odd jobs done. During the interview, Christian explains how Alfred got started and why he feels it will change the way people run their homes.

**Special Announcements:**

# [Less Doing Does Europe!](https://www.gazelles.com/summits/EGS-2015/Barcelona/index.html) Watch Ari bring the lessons of Less Doing to some of Europe’s most famous cities including Barcelona, Munich, Amsterdam and Budapest for the 2015 European Growth Summit. Ari will be joined by fellow masters of entrepreneurship Steve Martin, Director of _Influence at Work_ in the UK, and Verne Harnish, founder and CEO of Gazelles.

EO Vancouver On June 18th, join Ari at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in b-e-a-utiful Vancouver, B.C. as he takes the microphone for _EO Vancouver_. Enjoy this unique opportunity to watch Ari candidly discuss life as an Author, Speaker, Teacher and – most importantly – Achievement Architect.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

  • – 19:41 – Introduction of Christian Bjelland of [Club Alfred](https://www.helloalfred.com/)
  • – 19:55 – Christian defines [Alfred](https://www.helloalfred.com/) as a single-point to create and manage daily/weekly routines
  • – 20:08 – The service costs $25 a week
  • – 20:21 – The essential goal of the service is to allow users to improve their time and energy usage by eliminating tasks from “to-do” lists (like buying groceries)
  • – 20:50 – Think of Alfred as a home or project manager
  • – 21:50 – Unlike other on-demand services, Alfred employs automation and a white-glove approach
  • – 23:18 – Are there any issues with trust? Security?
  • – 24:18 – Many people refer to Alfred as “hotel service in your own home”
  • – 24:50 – Client managers come from a variety of backgrounds and are required to have a college degree or relevant experience
  • – 25:35 – Client managers have ownership of their clients and are encouraged to go above and beyond
  • – 26:55 – For $25 you receive a primary visit and a complementary return day if necessary
  • – 27:30 – Thus far, the service is only available in NYC and Boston
  • – 28:29 – Does Alfred conduct any data-capture?
  • – 29:55 – The primary method of communication when using Alfred is text message base
  • – 30:22 – There is an app under development
  • – 30:35 – Quick, conversational communication is important to success
  • – 31:15 – Christian is originally from Norway and his background is in investment banking
  • – 32:40 – The success of Alfred is heavily dependent upon the client managers, for this reason all client managers are W-2 employees, not contractors
  • – 33:22 – Christian’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_
  • – 33:33 – Start using Alfred
  • – 34:15 – Spend a little time every week to plan things out
  • – 34:52 – Find a place where you can be in complete isolation
  • – 35:58 – [www.helloalfred.com](http://www.helloalfred.com)

**7 Key Points:**

  1. Don’t feel professionally limited by your background.
  2. Keep communication concise and clear.
  3. Know how to not only price your product but price it well.
  4. The new UX is no UX.
  5. Take the time to plan out your day, week, month and year.
  6. When you need to work, isolate yourself and eliminate distractions.
  7. Treat your employees well, and they’ll treat your customers well.

**Resources Mentioned:**

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Author Neil Strauss

# Episode 133

**Summary:**

In Episode #133 Ari speaks with [Neil Strauss](http://www.amazon.com/Neil-Strauss/e/B001H6NT1I/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1424998661&sr=1-2-ent&tag=tlp03-20&linkId=3FHLXVVZR4GVZR6W) ![](https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=tlp03-20&l=ur2&o=1), author of Ari’s favorite book, _[Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060898771/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060898771&linkCode=as2&tag=tlp03-20&linkId=2DQR5QXMBWHO4WWD) ![](http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=tlp03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060898771)_ . During their extensive conversation, Ari and Neil talk about everything from fatherhood and survival to writing and productivity.

**Special Announcements:**

# [Less Doing in Barcelona](https://www.gazelles.com/summits/EGS-2015/Barcelona/index.html) Watch Ari bring the lessons of Less Doing to Barcelona, Spain for the 2015 European Growth Summit. Ari will be joined by fellow masters of entrepreneurship Steve Martin, Director of _Influence at Work_ in the UK, and Verne Harnish, founder and CEO of Gazelles.

[American Dream U](http://americandreamu.org/upcoming-events/) On March 13th and 14th, watch Ari Meisel bring his expertise to the stage in a setting unlike any other: Fort Benning, Georgia home of the United States Army’s Airborne and Ranger schools. Ari will be joining a collection of legendary business leaders and exciting entrepreneurs to help demonstrate the _right _way to start a business.

[Less Doing Live Event](https://lessdoinglabs.businessresearchgroup.org/sales/live-event-optin) The **Less Doing LIVE Event** in NYC is _less than six months away_! The best minds in business and productivity are joining Ari in his hometown of New York City to share their tips, strategies and secrets for success. Visit [LessDoingLive.com](http://www.lessdoinglive.com/) to learn more about this fantastic opportunity running from **May 1st – 3rd**.

[Mastermind Talks](http://www.mastermindtalks.com/) Looking for an opportunity to see Ari speak live somewhere on the west coast?—Look no further! On **April 29th and 30th** , Ari will be featured at the _Mastermind Talks_ event in **Napa, California**. To learn more about this opportunity to watch Ari “_Optimize, Outsource and Automate_” in wine country, click [here](http://www.mastermindtalks.com/).

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 26:09 – Introduction of Neil Strauss

– 28:14 – The “system” is fragile; don’t rely upon it…Take your life into your own hands

– 28:50 – Crohn’s disease and how Neil’s book helped him

– 31:35 – On Point Tactical

– 31:45 – We don’t live in the wilderness anymore, urban survival is the future of survival skill

– 35:00 – Ari defines the source of _his _motivation

– 36:00 – Getting yourself out of your own way can actually be the _best _medicine for your life

– 37:43 – Neil asks Ari to explain what is wrong with being out of control

– 39:37 – Neil defines his writing style and process

– 42:20 – Researching and writing about two different things (like Emergency and The Game) can make both products stronger

– 45:27 – The moment of staring death in the face

– 46:05 – When people die, the two things they think about most are friends and family

-46:45 – A lot of people are so overwhelmed, they can’t even figure out what it is they want

– 47:35 – Work addition is a fascinating concept and frequently responsible for people feeling overwhelmed

– 51:00 – Learning how to be a father is a skill Neil doesn’t currently have that he would like to learn

– 51:45 – The learning of a father is never complete

– 52:45 – Neil’s deepest motivation these days is to rediscover how to shed some of the excess baggage from his lifetime

– 55:05 – Neil’s _Top 3 Tips for Being More Effective_:

– 55:26 – Download the program _Freedom_

– 57:52 – _The Weekly Dinner Party_

– 60:1 —

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

David Allen – Getting Things Done

Show Notes: Subscribe to the podcast on [iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ari-meisel-less-doing/id605938952?mt=2) Also Check out Ari’s book “[Less Doing, More Living](http://www.lessdoingbook.com/)” Get More Great Content and Full Show Notes with Transcript at [LessDoing.com](http://www.lessdoing.com/)

# Episode 98 **Summary:** In Episode #98, Ari speaks at length with David Allen the creator of_Getting Things Done_, a time-management method crafted to help people maximize their personal and work-life performance. As they chat, David reveals how he manages everything from interruptions to his email inbox in an effort to keep his mind clear and stay ahead of the curve.

**Sponsored By:** [Zirtual](http://www.zirtual.com) – A virtual executive assistant service specially designed to match busy people with dedicated assistants

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 19:12 – Introduction to David Allen

– 19:39 – What IS _Getting Things Done_?

– 20:39 – Creating the external brain

– 21:00 – Why is productivity difficult to obtain?

– 21:35 – The biggest obstacle is propensity for stress-addiction in the population

– 22:57 – David defines how the external mind works for him

– 23:53 – “_Your head is for **having** ideas, not **holding** them_”

– 26:03 – Two different parts of the brain evaluate the _outcome _and the _action_ to get there

– 28:49 – The importance of associating timing with certain tasks

– 31:00 – Context specific lists

– 33:52 – How David flips the switch and gets into “creativity mode”

– 34:50 – “_Passion is highly overrated_”

– 35:30 – Is there any concern about dehumanizing work?

– 39:32 – Embrace “inbox-zero”

– 42:35 – Review, scan and purge whether it’s paper or digital

– 43:25 – AquaNotes: A waterproof notepad Ari utilizes in the shower

– 47:20 – Reflection and review time is the most lacking and the most needed thing people should build in

– 48:35 – “_There are no interruptions, there are only mismanaged inputs_”

– 50:40 – Respond to every email within 24-48 hours, be responsive

– 54:54 – David’s take on outsourcing

– 60:14 – The principles of _Getting Things Done_ can be applied to all enterprises of life

– 62:55 – Breaking things down into “next steps” allows for successive action and, ultimately, accomplishment

– 66:30 – _The last responsible moment_

– 68:52 – The _outcome_: what happens when it’s not clear or it changes?

– 69:51 – “_There are no problems, there are only projects_”

– 72:10 – Interruptions are not _inherently_ a negative

**7 Key Points:**

1. Creating an external brain is no longer an option, it is a necessity

2. Stress-addiction is a limiting disease

3. “_Your head is for **having** ideas, not **holding** them_”

4. “_Passion is highly overrated_”

5. Embrace “inbox-zero” whether it’s digital or off-line

6. “_There are no interruptions, there are only mismanaged inputs_”

7. “_There are no problems, there are only projects_”

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Getting Things Done](http://gettingthingsdone.com/) – The brain child of _Getting Things Done_

– [WittyParrot](http://www.wittyparrot.com/) – A cloud based SaaS business focused on enabling communication and collaboration

– [Shortcut](http://www.getshortcut.co/) – A new app for on-demand haircuts

– [Bulletproof Coffee Warning](http://rebootedbody.com/bulletproof-coffee-warning/) – An article discussing three potential health risks with Bulletproof Coffee

– [Smappee](http://www.smappee.com/us/) – A new tool designed to help people measure home energy consumption and production

– [Homeboy](https://www.homeboy.com/) – A wifi-enabled home security tool

– [Darma](http://darma.co/) – A smart cushion designed to monitor posture, sitting habits and stress levels ——- [Get the FREE Optimize, Automate, Outsource Blueprint here.](https://go.lessdoing.com/blueprint?utm_campaign=blueprint-ari&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast) — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message