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Red Brick Thinking, Productivity and Taking Control of Your Career with Donna McGeorge
What if the answer to feeling overwhelmed is not to do more, but to remove what is no longer necessary?
In this episode of Your Career Podcast, Jane Jackson speaks with productivity expert, bestselling author and speaker Donna McGeorge about her unconventional career journey, the beliefs that shape the way we work, and why so many capable professionals find themselves overcommitted, exhausted and short of time.
Donna shares how her career evolved from early aspirations of becoming a coroner to working as a secretary, IT trainer and learning and development professional before building her own successful business. After experiencing several company failures, she made the decision to take greater control of her career and create work on her own terms.
Jane and Donna explore why many so-called time management problems are not really about time at all. Overflowing inboxes, excessive meetings and difficulty delegating are often symptoms of deeper issues, including lack of trust, unclear priorities, perfectionism and the stories we tell ourselves about what a capable professional should be able to manage.
Donna also introduces the central idea behind her new book, Red Brick Thinking. When faced with a problem, most of us instinctively add another task, process, meeting or responsibility. Red brick thinking invites us to consider subtraction instead. What could be removed, simplified, stopped or allowed to end?
The conversation also covers workplace burnout, cognitive overload, setting realistic boundaries, questioning false urgency and periodically reassessing whether a role still fits the life you want to lead.
Donna shares the unexpected story behind The ChatGPT Revolution and how one conversation with a journalist led her to write the most commercially successful book of her career.
This is a practical and thought-provoking conversation for anyone who feels stretched by work, is considering a career change, or needs permission to stop carrying responsibilities that no longer serve a useful purpose.
Key takeaways
- Many productivity problems are not really about managing time. They are often caused by overcommitment, unclear priorities, excessive meetings and difficulty delegating.
- Donna’s concept of Red Brick Thinking encourages us to solve problems through strategic subtraction. Rather than automatically adding another task, process or responsibility, consider what could be removed, simplified or stopped.
- Clear boundaries protect our time and capacity. Before agreeing to an urgent request, question the deadline, clarify when the work will be reviewed and communicate what can realistically be achieved.
Where to find Donna McGeorge
Learn more about Donna, her books and her work at:
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Welcome to Your Career Podcast with Jane Jackson where I help mid career professionals overcome self doubt and gain career clarity and the confidence to create the life and career they desire.
Book a Zoom chat with me at janejacksoncoach.com - I’d love to meet you and discover what’s happening in your career!
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To discover how to make a successful career change and land the job you'll LOVE, take the CAREER SUCCESS QUIZ and within 2 minutes you'll have your results, analysis and recommendations for career success. https://careersuccess.scoreapp.com/
