Episode 511: #Tashmas Day 2: Pleasure-First Productivity

Not only am I turning 44 this Tashmas, but my business is also turning 13 in June. I’ve been doing this for a while, and one of the biggest things I’ve learned along the way is how crucial it is to understand what makes me truly productive. Specifically, I’ve discovered that I operate best with “pleasure-first productivity.” If you’re curious about what that means (and maybe even want to try it yourself), this Heart-Centred Business Podcast episode is just for you.

PLUS there’s a chance to win with this episode of #Tashmas!!

Let’s dive into exactly how I use pleasure-first productivity to get things done—and enjoy myself at the same time.

Wait… What is #Tashmas?

I do it for both my birthday (1-12 March) and pre-Christmas (1-12 December) every year! Every day from now until my birthday on 12th March, there will be a new daily podcast episode, with a hot tip or practical strategy as per usual… but you ALSO get a gift! I love sharing the birthday vibes, and what better way to do that?! The daily gift could be a freebie, a special offer, a competition… but there will be something for YOU every single day.

Let’s get into it…

Here for the links referenced in the show notes?

I’ve got 2 x prizes of $100 Tash Cash to give away… and lots of ways to enter!

Entry 1: Find and comment on the Day 2 #Tashmas post on my page: facebook.com/tashcorbincoaching. (Instructions are in the post)
Entry 2: Head to tashcorbin.com/events and register for an upcoming event!
Entry 3: Share a post on your Instagram or FB that you’re going to the event, and tag me in it (@tashcorbincoaching for FB, @tashcorbin for Insta)
Entry 4: Tag a friend in any of my event-related posts from 12 February to 12 March to let them know to check it out.

Entries close 10am AEST on Friday 13th March 2026.
Winners will be drawn on Facebook Live on my Page on Saturday 14th March 2026, and notified via email.

EPISODE 511: Listen using the player below, or click the links to your fave platform to subscribe and listen over there:

Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotif Listen on YouTube

What Do I Mean by “Pleasure-First Productivity”?

Okay, before you picture anything NSFW, let’s clear this up: Pleasure-first productivity isn’t about anything sexual. For me, “pleasure” means anything that feels genuinely good and motivating. It’s that spark of excitement or contentment that can kick off my work, keep me going, or help me bounce back when I’m stuck.

If you don’t love the word “pleasure,” I get it. But for my brain, pleasure is the right fit, and you’ll hear me say it a lot in this episode.

Unlearning What “Productive” Meant to Me

Starting and growing a business has been a huge personal development journey. As time has gone on, I’ve realised just how much society, school, and the workplace conditioned me around productivity. I picked up beliefs about work ethic, showing up, and what’s “worthy.” For a long time, I thought being motivated by pressure, deadlines, or fear of letting people down was just how I worked best.

In my early business days, I genuinely believed I was “more motivated by the stick than the carrot.” This just meant I was driven more by pain or pressure than by rewards. Looking back, I can see why: I was surrounded by neurotypical, corporate personalities who breezed through projects with project plans and finished early, while I needed time to muddle and reflect. I’d procrastinate on stuff I didn’t want to do, then get the work done in a last-minute adrenaline rush.

But even as a student, I noticed that if I loved a subject or found a project exciting, deadlines weren’t an issue. It was the boring or rigid assignments—like those chemistry data logs or unimaginative history reports—that I left to the last minute. The rest just came easily.

From Dreading the Work to Finding Joy in It

The more I learned about myself (hello, undiagnosed ADHD and autism), the more I realised I wasn’t motivated by a reward at the end (the “carrot”), and I didn’t actually enjoy the adrenaline/cortisol crash from last-minute scrambles. Even fake deadlines didn’t work for me—my brain is too smart to be tricked by a self-made cutoff. I can always push it back!

I noticed that telling people my deadlines sometimes helped (I lean towards the “Obliger” tendency), but I didn’t want to build a business model that relied on constantly feeling like I was going to disappoint someone.

Honestly, for the first five or six years of my business, I just accepted the stress and pressure as “the way I worked.” But it took away the joy of running my own business. I didn’t leave corporate life just to recreate those same pressures and non-enjoyable experiences for myself!

Not an “Eat the Frog” Person—And That’s Okay!

You know that “eat the frog” advice—where you do the hardest, yuckiest thing first to get it out of the way? Not for me. I prefer the sandwich method: fun thing, hard thing, fun thing. That sense of momentum and rhythm makes it way easier (and more pleasant) for me.

I also had to unpack my fear of being “lazy.” After being called lazy much of my life, I worried I’d start a business and just do nothing. That led to me being way more rigid and mean to myself in the early days, but what I found was that my so-called “laziness” is really efficiency. If there’s an easier or more fun way to do something, I’ll find it—and that has helped my clients, too!

Discovering the Power of Pleasure

My a-ha moment came at Denise Duffield-Thomas’s Rose Farm Retreat. Through exploring my Sacred Money Archetypes, I found out my top archetype is the Romantic—pleasure-driven! (Getting an ADHD diagnosis helped, too.) I realised that for me, “laziness” was often about needing rest because I was burnt out. The most pleasurable thing I could do was simply rest.

I started really leaning into pleasure-first productivity in the last couple of years. People have a lot of questions about it, so I want to break down what I do, why, and how you can think about it for yourself.

What Does Pleasure-First Productivity Actually Look Like?

Back at university, a friend would save a bag of gummy bears for when she finished her study notes. I loved the idea! Only… I could never wait—I wanted those gummy bears right away. Instead, before each chapter or study session, I’d have one as a treat before I started, not after I finished!

That’s the main principle of pleasure-first productivity: Instead of dangling a reward at the end, I start (and break up my day) with bursts of pleasure. Here’s how my days are structured now:

How I Start My Day With Pleasure

Morning routine is sacred:

Gentle stroll with the dogs with my partner Davey, listening to a podcast
Stop for coffee if we feel like it
Nervous system exercises (which include a back and face massage for each of us)
Pulling a tarot card for each other
CEO date to pep up and align for the day

I know this is a privilege, especially as I’m childfree and set up my work for spaciousness, but it gets me genuinely excited to start my work. If I need to be camera-ready, I’ll do my hair and makeup to music or a fun podcast. Starting out feeling good makes all the difference.

Tiny Bursts of Pleasure All Day

Whenever I’m stuck or avoiding a task, my best “pattern interrupt” is a pleasurable break—even if it’s just three minutes. Here are my favourites:

Do a quick page in my art journal
Stretch or roll out on a foam roller
Take a swim (just getting in, not fully submerging my hair, or else I go full mermaid and won’t come back to my desk!)
Quick call or text with a friend (my niece and I have the most energising chats)
Pull an oracle card and journal a few lines
Hunt 3 funny or cute Instagram reels to send to a friend

I’ve experimented to find what energises me (baths, nope; showers, yes!). The trick is to get an energising spike from pleasure—not to slide into a “vegging out” mode that kills my motivation.

Making the Work Itself More Pleasurable

I’ve also rearranged my business to make the work itself pleasurable whenever possible. If there’s something I hate doing (like scheduling social media posts), I avoid or outsource it. I looked for ways to play to my strengths—like moving from written blogs to a podcast, because I love talking and teaching.

Even in the way I create content—using colored pens, stickers, and pretty planners for my to-dos—makes every day more enjoyable. I used to be embarrassed about my love for bright stationery and Post-its, but now? I own it. I’ve taught others my Post-it system at speaking events, and I’m not hiding it anymore.

Gamifying My Work

I gamify everything:

Bingo cards in event workbooks instead of to-do lists (so much more fun!)
Setting a timer to see how many social posts I can write in 30 minutes, then trying to beat my score
Using bright, beautiful stationery as a reward and a motivator

These little games make work feel less like a slog.

If Motivation Depends on Others, Make It Internal

Sometimes, the hardest part is when you feel like no one is engaging with your content online. I realised I didn’t want my excitement to depend on others. Instead, when I create social content, I visualise people in my audience seeing it and thinking, “Ooh, a Tash post!” That mental picture alone brings me joy as I create, and keeps me motivated—even when that feedback isn’t visible.

Building My Business Around My Strengths

If I love being in teacher mode, I design my offerings, marketing, and client work to keep me there. I’m not going to withhold all my teaching from my marketing just to “save” everything for clients—then marketing would feel miserable! When I podcast, I go all-in, teaching generously. So many people have said this podcast is worth more than programs they paid thousands for—and that’s exactly why I love making it.

Reframing My Relationship with Spending

My pleasure-first approach even changed my relationship with money. I used to impulse buy (hello, 175 pairs of shoes during my corporate days—filling a void!). But when I spend mindfully on things that genuinely bring me joy (like beautiful stationery), I actually buy less and appreciate it more.

I’m also conscious of why I sometimes feel the urge to buy—like shoes were off-limits when I was younger because of my size, so for years I bought shoes as soon as I had the money. Healing those old wounds means I can appreciate beautiful things without needing to buy them all the time.

I bring this same mindfulness and pleasure-first approach to my business. I design my day, my spending, and my business model around what brings me energy and joy. No shame in that!

Why I’ll Never Give Up Pleasure-First Productivity

Here’s the most important thing: I didn’t start my own business to reproduce a rigid, joyless environment. I wanted time and financial freedom. When I’m easy on myself, follow pleasure (even tiny stickers and colours), I’m more productive, effective, and happy.

And as I’ve embraced this, I’ve realised none of it is silly or frivolous. If turning tasks into bingo cards and drawing flowers around my goals gets me working, so be it! The more I embrace this, the more successful and joyful I am.

Your Day 2 #Tashmas Gift!