327: Begin With The End In Mind and Use Your Time Wisely with Matthew Gaddy

In this week's show, Phil talks to Matthew Gaddy, a productivity and high-performance coach for engineers, helping them to operate at their best so that they can produce work that makes a difference. He is on a mission to increase productivity in a way that reduces stress and fosters a quality working environment. Matthew talks about the importance of visualizing our ideal outcomes and sticking to the roadmap that will take us there. He also discusses the value of time management and how planning can help.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Begin with the end in mind! We often get so caught up in the task itself that we lose sight of why we began in the first place.   WORST CAREER MOMENT When first applying productivity techniques to his work, Matthew found that he unfortunately burned himself out. This led to a greater understanding of the importance of taking time out.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT After making a huge leap in his career, Matthew recognized the value in ensuring we have sufficient reserves in case of setbacks. It also allowed him to make his next step much closer to his goals, which was also his most productive action.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The way the world of work has changed has allowed for a greater sense of prioritization. Systems and processes are all moving towards being more adaptable and allowing people to do their best.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – What's the best career advice you received? – Start with the end in mind! What's the worst career advice you received? – The way to get more things done is to work harder and for longer. What would you do if you started your career now? – Matthew would look to gain more clarity about the goal of the company and look for further ways to make positive change. What are your current career objectives? Producing content focusing upon increasing performance and mastering time. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Communication. How do you keep your own career energized? – Revisiting goals and realigning with what's important. What do you do away from technology? – Running and fitness, as well as reading and spending time with family.   FINAL CAREER TIP Choose how you're going to spend your time in advance and plan wisely. Work hard but take breaks. Remember your time is a finite resource.   BEST MOMENTS (1:30) – Matthew - "What I do is help engineers to master their time and to create their best work" (4:27) – Matthew - "Think about "What do I want? What do I want my lifestyle to look like?" And build backwards from that point" (7:45) – Matthew – "Time wants to be told what to do. It doesn't like to be found" (19:35) – Matthew – "It's not about the emails. It's not about the customers. It's about growing the business and making sure you're communicating"   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – MATTHEW GADDY Matthew Gaddy is a productivity and high-performance coach for engineers, helping them to operate at their best so that they can produce work that makes a difference. He is on a mission to increase productivity in a way that reduces stress and fosters a quality working environment.   CONTACT THE GUEST – MATTHEW GADDY Matthew Gaddy can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgaddy/ Website: https://www.matthewgaddy.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.gaddy/