Ray Sidney-Smith
@rsidneysmith.com
Digital Productivity / GTD / automation / Psychology / 🖖🏻 | 🐘 Evernote Certified Expert | Google expert | 🎙️ Host of ProductivityCast, Productivity Book Group, Personal Productivity Club, and ProductivityPlusTech.com
Reject “hustle culture” for a better kind of growth. You can be a high performer without acting like a robot.
Stop seeing every action as a worthiness test.
Incremental progress equates often to better output.
Consistency is great, but don’t choose it over being human.
Stop seeing every action as a worthiness test.
Incremental progress equates often to better output.
Consistency is great, but don’t choose it over being human.
November 20, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Reject “hustle culture” for a better kind of growth. You can be a high performer without acting like a robot.
Stop seeing every action as a worthiness test.
Incremental progress equates often to better output.
Consistency is great, but don’t choose it over being human.
Stop seeing every action as a worthiness test.
Incremental progress equates often to better output.
Consistency is great, but don’t choose it over being human.
Parasocial relationships are hardly a modern phenomenon. They have likely been occurring since humans could create mass media (since Gutenberg press, perhaps? cc: @jeffjarvis.bsky.social).
Cambridge Dictionary has named its word of the year for 2025, alighting on “parasocial,” used to describe a connection that people feel with someone they don’t know – or even with an artificial intelligence. https://cnn.it/4raKodW
November 18, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Parasocial relationships are hardly a modern phenomenon. They have likely been occurring since humans could create mass media (since Gutenberg press, perhaps? cc: @jeffjarvis.bsky.social).
Reposted by Ray Sidney-Smith
The more employees can trust in you, your company, and one another, the happier and less burned out they’ll be. f-st.co/GPqzinL
A study of 1 million people reveals a key ingredient for happiness that most leaders ignore
The researchers focused on two types of trust, interpersonal trust and institutional trust—the two types that can occur in workplaces.
f-st.co
November 18, 2025 at 10:32 AM
The more employees can trust in you, your company, and one another, the happier and less burned out they’ll be. f-st.co/GPqzinL
@cloudflare.social seems to be down. Multiple of my sites are not working...which run DNS/CDN through Cloudflare.
November 18, 2025 at 12:02 PM
@cloudflare.social seems to be down. Multiple of my sites are not working...which run DNS/CDN through Cloudflare.
In life and work, resist two traps:
⚠️ Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
⚠️ Don’t treat universal truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
⚠️ Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
⚠️ Don’t treat universal truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
November 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
In life and work, resist two traps:
⚠️ Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
⚠️ Don’t treat universal truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
⚠️ Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
⚠️ Don’t treat universal truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
As some may remember, I ran #ProdChat for many years...and it's returning as an audio-only format (with live chat). For those interested in #productivity #timemanagement conversations, join Personal Productivity Club and RSVP 1/7/26: www.personalproductivity.club/events/produ...
November 11, 2025 at 4:10 PM
As some may remember, I ran #ProdChat for many years...and it's returning as an audio-only format (with live chat). For those interested in #productivity #timemanagement conversations, join Personal Productivity Club and RSVP 1/7/26: www.personalproductivity.club/events/produ...
The best leaders know how to appropriately celebrate wins with the right spheres of influence.: https://posts.rsidneysmith.com/2025/11/11/the-best-leaders-know-how.html
Most Leaders Don’t Celebrate Their Wins—But They Should
Leadership and management literature tends to emphasize learning from failure, but senior executives also need to understand how to acknowledge and build on success. When leaders constantly push forward without pausing to recognize progress, they risk burnout, diminished resilience, and poorer judgment. Interviews with executives across industries reveal three barriers that make celebration uncomfortable: self-doubt, constant pressure, and cultural norms that equate recognition with self-promotion. By making progress visible, separating real from self-imposed urgency, and redefining what celebration looks like, leaders can strengthen confidence, sustain motivation, and stay grounded in what’s working—even amid relentless demands.
hbr.org
November 11, 2025 at 3:37 PM
The best leaders know how to appropriately celebrate wins with the right spheres of influence.: https://posts.rsidneysmith.com/2025/11/11/the-best-leaders-know-how.html
Misuse of the Pareto Principle: https://posts.rsidneysmith.com/2025/10/30/misuse-of-the-pareto-principle.html
Misunderstanding the Pareto Principle often leads to oversimplified time management strategies that falter once one becomes well-organized.
Misunderstanding the Pareto Principle often leads to oversimplified time management strategies that falter once one becomes well-organized.
October 31, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Misuse of the Pareto Principle: https://posts.rsidneysmith.com/2025/10/30/misuse-of-the-pareto-principle.html
Misunderstanding the Pareto Principle often leads to oversimplified time management strategies that falter once one becomes well-organized.
Misunderstanding the Pareto Principle often leads to oversimplified time management strategies that falter once one becomes well-organized.
From Minimalism to Optimalism: Rethinking the Pursuit of Less: https://posts.rsidneysmith.com/2025/10/30/from-minimalism-to-optimalism-rethinking.html
October 30, 2025 at 4:17 PM
From Minimalism to Optimalism: Rethinking the Pursuit of Less: https://posts.rsidneysmith.com/2025/10/30/from-minimalism-to-optimalism-rethinking.html
Hot take: You don’t need a digital detox. You have great control of your devices' settings. Limit notifications, manage screen time, delete distracting apps, and focus on creating over consuming. If it’s addiction, seek professional help; don’t fall for “detox” gimmicks from self-proclaimed experts.
October 29, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Hot take: You don’t need a digital detox. You have great control of your devices' settings. Limit notifications, manage screen time, delete distracting apps, and focus on creating over consuming. If it’s addiction, seek professional help; don’t fall for “detox” gimmicks from self-proclaimed experts.
We’re not meant to look at others to see how we measure up.
The real growth happens when we look in the mirror, when we compare who we are today with who we were yesterday.
Progress isn’t about others. It’s about being a little better than your present self, one day at a time.
The real growth happens when we look in the mirror, when we compare who we are today with who we were yesterday.
Progress isn’t about others. It’s about being a little better than your present self, one day at a time.
October 27, 2025 at 7:40 PM
We’re not meant to look at others to see how we measure up.
The real growth happens when we look in the mirror, when we compare who we are today with who we were yesterday.
Progress isn’t about others. It’s about being a little better than your present self, one day at a time.
The real growth happens when we look in the mirror, when we compare who we are today with who we were yesterday.
Progress isn’t about others. It’s about being a little better than your present self, one day at a time.
This buries the lede; the main takeaway is that finding a balance between tidiness and creativity/messiness is key for a productive and healthy work life.
hbr.org/2019/03/the-...
hbr.org/2019/03/the-...
October 23, 2025 at 4:23 AM
This buries the lede; the main takeaway is that finding a balance between tidiness and creativity/messiness is key for a productive and healthy work life.
hbr.org/2019/03/the-...
hbr.org/2019/03/the-...
Reposted by Ray Sidney-Smith
Jane Goodall, a conservationist who broke barriers for women and revolutionized the study of primates, has died at 91. https://cnn.it/4o44cxf
October 1, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Jane Goodall, a conservationist who broke barriers for women and revolutionized the study of primates, has died at 91. https://cnn.it/4o44cxf
My coauthor Steve Orr and I released "Podcasting for Small Business" for preorder - amzn.to/4q2SuVs - Release for hardcover and paperback are on December 2nd as well!
October 1, 2025 at 7:06 PM
My coauthor Steve Orr and I released "Podcasting for Small Business" for preorder - amzn.to/4q2SuVs - Release for hardcover and paperback are on December 2nd as well!
In life and work, resist two traps:
1) Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
2) Don’t treat general truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom (and productivity and even peace of mind) lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
1) Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
2) Don’t treat general truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom (and productivity and even peace of mind) lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
August 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM
In life and work, resist two traps:
1) Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
2) Don’t treat general truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom (and productivity and even peace of mind) lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
1) Don’t take one moment and make it a universal truth.
2) Don’t treat general truths like they apply without exception.
Wisdom (and productivity and even peace of mind) lives between the general and the specific. That’s where agency begins.
It is even more complicated when the truth is nuanced. You are infrequently only correct or wrong, but partially so. We need more of the "yes and" approach to thoughtful disagreement. The productivity gains are a huge opportunity.
July 31, 2025 at 3:42 PM
It is even more complicated when the truth is nuanced. You are infrequently only correct or wrong, but partially so. We need more of the "yes and" approach to thoughtful disagreement. The productivity gains are a huge opportunity.
Some really good suggestions for when you can't get to sleep. Also, a good reminder about good sleep hygiene.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
I Can’t Sleep. Now What?
It’s the middle of the night — and you’re wide awake. We asked sleep experts for tips to help you get some rest.
www.nytimes.com
July 12, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Some really good suggestions for when you can't get to sleep. Also, a good reminder about good sleep hygiene.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Personal productivity doesn’t start with efficiency. It starts with curiosity. When we lead with curiosity, we deepen empathy, foster connection, and tap into a quiet resolve that turns our wishlists into task lists. That’s where mastery begins.
June 30, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Personal productivity doesn’t start with efficiency. It starts with curiosity. When we lead with curiosity, we deepen empathy, foster connection, and tap into a quiet resolve that turns our wishlists into task lists. That’s where mastery begins.
Join us in Personal Productivity Club for an upcoming session, Using Time Tracking to Improve Focus and Productivity, with rize.io 's Macgill Davis ! www.personalproductivity.club/events/using...
#free #events
#free #events
Personal Productivity Club
Build better systems, manage your time, and reach your goals—together with people who care about getting things done. Founded by a personal productivity enthusiast, podcaster, and technology coach, Personal Productivity Club's mission is to help you connect with other personal productivity enthusiasts so that you can learn, share, and grow in your personal and professional, productive lives.
www.personalproductivity.club
June 26, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Join us in Personal Productivity Club for an upcoming session, Using Time Tracking to Improve Focus and Productivity, with rize.io 's Macgill Davis ! www.personalproductivity.club/events/using...
#free #events
#free #events
Check out our upcoming GTD Café virtual Meetup: www.meetup.com/gtd-dc/event...
GTD|REFRESH: Choosing the Best In-Tray for You, Tue, Jul 8, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
Join us for GTD Café on July 8, 2025, as we dive into one of the most foundational (and often overlooked) components of a solid Getting Things Done® practice—the in-tray. W
www.meetup.com
June 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Check out our upcoming GTD Café virtual Meetup: www.meetup.com/gtd-dc/event...
Check out the upcoming WordPress Pittsburgh Social Mixer: www.meetup.com/pittsburgh-w...
WordPress Pittsburgh Social Mixer, Thu, Jul 17, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
Join us on Pittsburgh's South Side for an evening of WordPress networking and collaboration! Whether you're a designer, blogger, developer, or WordPress enthusiast, or just
www.meetup.com
June 24, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Check out the upcoming WordPress Pittsburgh Social Mixer: www.meetup.com/pittsburgh-w...
🌟 Happy #WorldProductivityDay! 🌟 Today, we celebrate the many ways we can be productive, both at work and in life. Remember, productivity is not just about getting things done, but also about finding balance and making time for rest. Let’s make the most of what we have!
June 20, 2025 at 2:12 PM
🌟 Happy #WorldProductivityDay! 🌟 Today, we celebrate the many ways we can be productive, both at work and in life. Remember, productivity is not just about getting things done, but also about finding balance and making time for rest. Let’s make the most of what we have!
July 2 is coming soon...and it marks the halfway point of 2025. If your goals stalled or never left the runway, now’s your moment to reassess. Do they still matter? What small step can you take today? Research shows steady progress beats grand plans. Midyear is not too late.
June 16, 2025 at 8:38 PM
July 2 is coming soon...and it marks the halfway point of 2025. If your goals stalled or never left the runway, now’s your moment to reassess. Do they still matter? What small step can you take today? Research shows steady progress beats grand plans. Midyear is not too late.
I'm not worried about AI becoming conscious. I'm concerned that we will use it and erode our best human productivity. Use AI for mundane tasks, free your mind for creative, strategic and complex thought.
June 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
I'm not worried about AI becoming conscious. I'm concerned that we will use it and erode our best human productivity. Use AI for mundane tasks, free your mind for creative, strategic and complex thought.
Fear can spark urgency, but it's a short-term fuel. It doesn't spark growth; it limits it. For sustainable growth and next-level productivity, shift from survival mode to a mindset of empathy and compassion. That's where true time mastery and lasting progress live.
June 11, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Fear can spark urgency, but it's a short-term fuel. It doesn't spark growth; it limits it. For sustainable growth and next-level productivity, shift from survival mode to a mindset of empathy and compassion. That's where true time mastery and lasting progress live.