Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS | More
Why is productivity not about better apps or systems, but about how you think about your work? Are you actually making progress, or just staying busy with “productive” distractions? What would change if you simply wrote things down and started taking genuine action?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok and Matt Ragland discuss how the way you think about productivity is completely wrong.
Podcast Sponsor: Alma
As a clinician, you probably chose this field because you wanted to support people in navigating challenges and finding personal growth. But many mental health care providers end up spending almost as much time on billing, insurance, and other documentation as you do in sessions with clients.
That’s where Alma can help.
Alma supports clinicians in building rewarding private practices—with simplified insurance credentialing in under 45 days, enhanced reimbursement rates, and guaranteed two-week payback.
Plus, a free profile in their searchable, filterable directory—making it easy for clients who are the right fit for your practice to find you.
Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Meet Matt Ragland
Matt Ragland is an independent creator, productivity educator, and YouTuber known for his work on bullet journaling, focus, and creative productivity. He produces videos, courses, and writing that help creators and knowledge workers design systems to do their best work. Ragland previously worked in the creator-economy software space at companies like ConvertKit and Podia before becoming a full-time creator, where he now focuses on the intersection of productivity and the creator economy.
Visit Matt’s website, Bullet Journal and connect on Instagram and YouTube.
In This Podcast
-
The reason why you need to write it out
-
The bullet journal method
-
Be careful of productive procrastination
-
Matt’s advice to private practitioners
The reason why you need to write it out
Actually picking up a pen or a pencil to write out your thoughts, stressors, and to-do list is way more effective than jotting things down digitally.
The tactile feel of pen to paper makes a stronger connection with your brain, and the act of doing that will help me just feel more in tune with the constraints that I have. (Matt Ragland)
Get yourself a journal or use a scrap piece of paper to get started on properly fleshing out the life that you want to live, the problems you want to solve, and the goals you want to achieve.
The bullet journal method
The bullet journal method … is a way of working, thinking, and reflecting that forms a really strong loop that feeds upon itself … [and is] kind of self-supporting. (Matt Ragland)
At the heart of the bullet journal method is the daily log practice, which is constituted of:
- Writing down the tasks that need to be done today
- Breaking a task down into bullet
- Using arrows, dashes, and circles to help your brain focus
A further way that Matt has expanded the bullet journal method is to add a weekly intentions page. Being one of the core tenents of the method, this page is about having a clear intention of what you want to do for the week or month.
You’re asking yourself, “Okay, these things that I did this week, did I stay track? Did I stay aligned with my intention at the beginning of the week?” You could even pull that back even further … you could zoom all the way out to asking yourself, “Am I building the kind of life that I want to?” (Matt Ragland)
Be careful of productive procrastination
When it comes to productivity, productive procrastination is a very easy trap to fall into. It is about everything that revolves around the task that you need (or want) to do, but not taking action on the task itself.
For example, you may be reading books about the action, journaling about the action, talking to loved ones about it, or thinking about it for days, weeks, or even months on end.
However, while these tasks may be helpful initially, they cannot replace taking the action itself!
I think a lot of times, what gets in the way of people making progress is that they think, “Oh, well I have to have this special system that I’m following, this framework, or I have to have this particular dashboard in order to be successful.” (Matt Ragland)
Remember this: wherever you’re looking and where you take the step is where you’re going to go. You can take a step in the right direction, or around the action. Whichever it is, it is what ends up happening.
So, choose to take action wherever and whenever possible.
Matt’s advice to private practitioners
A lot of you probably already know what you need to be doing.
When you work through it, think through it, talk through it, and journal through it enough, you will have a realization about what you need to do, and then question becomes whether you are brave enough to give it a go and take some action on it.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Ryder Carroll – The Bullet Journal Method
Charles Duhigg – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Gary Keller & Jay Papasan – The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:
Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Sign up for the 2026 Group Practice Boss Conference!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Visit Matt’s website, Bullet Journal and connect on Instagram and YouTube.
Work with us one-on-one!
Sign up for Group Practice Boss!
Check out these additional resources:
- Building Great Lakes Online Counseling Week 11: Hiring and Automation | POP 1353
- Practice of the Practice Network
- Group Practice Launch
- Group Practice Boss: www.practiceofthepractice.com/grouppracticeboss $149 a month
- PoP Group Practice Owners Facebook Group
- Free resources to help you start, grow, and scale
- Work with us
- Practice of the Practice Network
Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
Thanks For Listening!
Feel free to leave a comment below or share the social media below!
