A Productive Conversation

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Chris Norton. Chris is a speaker, author, adoptive & foster parent. He suffered a severe spinal cord injury playing college football. However, seven years later joyfully conquered the challenge of walking his wife, Emily, down the aisle of his wedding. Chris spoke about his journey, chronicled in The Seven Longest Yards, a book he co-wrote with his wife. We also talked about being fathers, what productivity means to him, and so much more. Chris has overcome a lot and yet is incredibly productive and has an inspiring story to share. I’m pleased to be able to bring it to you on this episode of the program. Talking Points Chris shares a bit about who he is and why he no longer plays football What did it take for Chris to show resilience in the face of tragedy? This is the one thing that helps Chris stay so positive Chris tells the story of the first time he tried to take steps since the accident What primary lesson does Chris take from his football days that he applies to this day? You need to learn how to do this – something that athletes know all too well We talk about fatherhood and parenting – something Chris is incredibly passionate about Chris shares why it was key for Emily and him to write this book together What does productivity mean to Chris? Chris has a challenge for you We close out the show talking about the idea of regret… and how Chris fights back against the power of regret Chris predicts the winner of Super Bowl LIV Quote “Who needs you to keep going so that they can keep going?“ Helpful Links The Seven Longest Yards Episode 245: What Happy Successful People Do Differently with Marc and Angel Chernoff Chris on The Good Life Project with Jonathan Fields Episode 269: You Are Awesome with Neil Pasricha Episode 241: What Sports Can Teach Us About Greatness with Don Yaeger The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want ChrisNorton.org Chris on Instagram The Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week: Read to Lead Chris’s story is inspiring to say the least. I’m so honoured that he took the time to come on the show and share his story with me… and with you. There are plenty of lessons to be learned from his experience and how he faced it. I hope you can take any number of them and apply them to your own life. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I’m joined by Brian Dixon, the author of Start with Your People: The Daily Decision that Changes Everything. As a podcaster, conference speaker, and business coach, Brian is passionate about helping high potential leaders and teams thrive in a world of overwhelming options. Some of the things we discuss during our conversation include what people can do to make sure they are starting on the right foot with others, why putting people first plays a role in your productivity, and the things you can do so that you can start with people first. Talking Points Brian speaks about the idea of “deciding” and the concept of the daily decision The nuanced approach to creating harmony between the needs of your people and your own needs This is The One Hour Exchange… and how you make it happen in a way that works for you What steps should someone take if they want to start off on the right foot when “starting with their people” Brian loves personality tests. Here are the four he likes the best. Brian challenges you to pick one day to do this What does it mean to adopt a mentality of abundance? I learned this about Mr. Rogers What can you do to start starting with people today? Quote “The pebble rarely sees the ripple…my job is to make an impact on the people in my life and I will never necessarily know the impact that they make as a result of me impacting them. But I can hold my head up high or put my head on the pillow at night and say ‘job well done.'” Helpful Links Start with Your People: The Daily Decision that Changes Everything Episode 203: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David Allen The Clarity Sessions The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types 5 AM Miracle: The Daily Decision that Changes Everything with Brian Dixon Episode 265: Bringing Gratitude with Karl Staib Brian’s Website The Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week: Typology I like this particular take on “people-powered productivity.” Why? Because it’s personal. Brian’s got some great ideas throughout the pages of his book and he shared quite a few during our conversation. I hope you get a lot out of it. I know that I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode of the podcast, I have the pleasure of being joined by the author of The Book of Awesome Series, Neil Pasricha. Neil thinks, writes, and speaks about intentional living and on this episode he’s going to share with me some of his insights from the book You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life. Neil is a New York Times best-selling author of 5(!) books, selling well over a million copies of his books in the process. He also hosts the award-winning podcast – and foamier Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week – 3 Books. He’s an in-demand international speaker and, like me, is a Canadian. Unlike me, he lives in Toronto with his wife and three sons. We spend time during our discussion talking about his latest book and a wide variety of productivity-related topics for just over an hour, making this one of the longer episodes I’ve ever produced. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this conversation I have with Neil on the program. It’s, in a word… awesome. Talking Points Neil shares with me what You Are Awesome is really about He shares why he started his blog This is the difference between resilience and grit We talk about the use of ellipses or the dot-dot-dot These are the steps that you need to take to be awesome We explore an all-too-common feeling: the feeling of not being good enough Neil and I discuss the importance of failure Does Neil journal? Neil turns the tables and asks me about my journaling practice When I share with Neil my TimeCrafting methodology he asks if I feel any sort of constraints surrounding it I turn the tables back and ask Neil if he has any sort of daily theming practice that he uses We close out the conversation by slowing things down a bit Quote “We have never been more productive – ever – than now.” Helpful Links You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life Day One What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World The Pomodoro Technique Neil.blog 3books.co The Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week: Akimbo There’s a lot to unpack in this episode and so many great takeaways. It was refreshing to have the tables turned on me with a few questions and I know we could have spoken to each other for much longer. I encourage to give this episode a repeat listen – there are insights a-plenty to be found! Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode I speak with Steven L. Blue. Steven is the best-selling author of five critically acclaimed books that target executives, leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to learn the secrets of success in the corporate world.Steven’s latest book, Metamorphosis: From Rust-Belt to High-Tech in a 21st Century World, is a detailed blueprint for CEOs and senior leaders to transform their businesses from failing rust-belt companies with small margins into high-tech leaders with superior profits. I spoke with Steven about the shift from rust-belt to high-tech products, the patience involved when making a change, and the process of metamorphosis as a whole. There’s a lot to unpack in this episode and plenty of lessons that Steven offers that you should heed when undergoing organizational – or even individual – metamorphosis. Talking Points What metamorphosis means to Steven – and what Steven wanted to title the book in the first place Steven discusses the idea of “innovational potential” The surprising model that Steven believes you should follow when going through a metamorphosis We talk about disruptive thinking and how important it is to adopt it Would Steven hire a Chief Innovation Officer? This is what Steven had his staff trained in years ago that has helped the company out in incredible ways The impact Steven feels change has on productivity – and how he suggests a company combat any fears that arise from an initial loss in productivity when instituting change We talk about the many forms that innovation can show up in your business and where he has it show up in Steven’s company When and how does scale play a role in the metamorphosis of a company? This is one of the toughest aspects of making change… no matter the size of your business How much time does Steven spend in the planning phase? Outsourcing is key – but there’s an important piece when you’re outsourcing to external contractors that Steven believes is a must This is the biggest piece of advice that Steven says will help you get a decent start when you decide to undergo a metamorphosis Quote “Innovation should be everybody’s job.” Helpful Links Metamorphosis by Steven L. Blue Steven’s Website Steven on Twitter The Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week: Get Yourself Optimized Even though you may not be running a manufacturing company like Steven does, there are still great takeaways regarding change that you can use in your own business – and life. Change is never easy but if you stand still then others will pass you by along the way… and you’ll spend time playing catch-up instead of investing it in what you need and want to be investing it in. If your intention is to make change that matters, then you need to plan for it so that you can be as ready as possible for whatever that new route will throw your way. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I speak with Wade Foster. Wade is the CEO and co-founder of Zapier, a workflow automation tool used by over three million people to connect the work apps they use every day. Prior to Zapier, Wade worked as a customer development lead for The Idea Works, Inc. in Missouri. He is an alumnus of Y Combinator and has degrees in industrial engineering and business administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia. I wanted to have Wade back on the show to explore the genesis of Zapier as well as how automation has worked for him over the years. We talked about his own to do list, who inspires and motivates him through their work and so much more during our conversation. I’m pleased to have him return as a guest on the show and hope you enjoy this revisited and reframed discussion. Talking Points Wade shares a bit about Zapier Where has Zapier gone since its inception? How has it evolved? Is there such a thing as “too much automation”? What trips people up when they are trying to automate? Here’s what Wade thinks Zapier – and automation – is helping people focus on to help out with their productivity Wade shares how you can make time to automate – and why you should Here’s one thing that you can’t automate on the whole… but can automate in parts How Wade started automating – and how he keeps at it What automation has freed Wade up to do more of Does Wade keeps a to do list? Here’s how he structures his weeks How Wade breaks down big things – like projects What about home or personal automation? What does Wade do on that front? Where does Wade draw inspiration from? These are the particular pieces of writing and content that Wade refers to consistently to stay on track We talk about scale and how Zapier plans to scale How does Jeff Bezos’s quote “Focus on the things that don’t change” play a role in Wade’s company and his own life Quote “The reality is that innovation and technology move so quickly that you always have to be looking for the next angle for yourself or you might find that your company is… innovated out of business.” Helpful Links A Closer Look at Automation with Wade Foster | The Productivityist Podcast Thinking Fast and Slow IFTTT Signal v. Noise | Basecamp The Hard Things About Hard Things I Ran the Full Text of Jeff Bezos’s 23 Amazon Shareholder Letters Through a Word Cloud Generator, and the Insights Were Astonishing | Inc.com 1,000 True Fans | The Technium The Innovator’s Dilemma Zapier The Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week: Process The thing about automation is that you need to think about not only what you want to automate but why you want to automate in the first place. Don’t just automate for automation’s sake. Software can help once you’ve made that call, but without making a smart and wise choice beforehand you may be setting yourself up for more work than you bargained for. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I’m joined by Nir Eyal, the author of what I consider to be the best productivity book I’ve read in a long time, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Without question I feel that Nir’s book Indistractable is the best book on the topic of productivity that I’ve read in a long time. We dig into the book throughout our lengthy discussion, discuss the concept of willpower (and my misinterpretation of how he feels about it), and so much more. There’s plenty to unpack in this episode and I’m pleased to be able to bring it to you. Talking Points Why I feel that Indistractable is one of the best productivity books out there Nir shares why the book covers for both Hooked and Indistractable are yellow The distinction between traction, time management, and becoming indistractable What is pseudowork? Nir Starts to reveal the four strategies that you’ll need to become indistractable This is what time management actually is We talk about willpower – and this is where I misinterpret Nir’s belief on the subject As a follow up to our willpower back-and-forth, Nir says that this is what we DO have available to us I share my external triggers with Nir and that leads to a discussion of the idea of identity Nir spends time discussing the other types of “pacts” you can put in place on your indistractable journey Nir gets personal as he discusses the power of “effort packs” I share my own examples of “effort packs” Nir talks about “progressive extremism” and its role in becoming indistractable Nir talks about to do lists Here’s what Nir says what you shouldn’t – and should – put on your calendar We chat about misinformation around the use of tech This is Nir’s definition of productivity… and his advice to live up to that definition Quote “The body gets what the body needs.” Helpful Links Good Life Project | Nir Eyal Ryan Holiday’s Recommended Reading The Productivityist Podcast: Willpower Doesn’t Work with Benjamin Hardy Schedule Maker The 106 Year Old Problem Indistractable.com Nir and Far [Podcast] The Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week: Remote Work Friends This episode is longer than usual but it’s worth every second. Nir’s perspective on productivity is attuned to my own in many ways. Hearing him agree with me on the concept of theming your time and using the calendar as a directory for your day and a to do list for the details of your day made… well, my day. I hope that this discussion we had made your day too. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.I’m joined by my good friend and author of Bring Gratitude: Feel Joyful with Bite-Sized Mindset Practices, Karl Staib on this episode. We spend time speaking about the effects that gratitude can have on your productivity when you simply “bring it” into your life as much as possible. Karl is also the creator of free 30-Day Bring Gratitude Challenge, an initiative that helps people strengthen their mindset through practicing gratitude. The challenge is presented in a private Facebook Group (linked below) and his goal is to get the smartest and most caring people together to create an amazing community so they can help each other learn from our mistakes and build a life that they all love. Talking Points Why Karl is a recovering “complainer” What Karl means when he encourages you to “bring” gratitude The story of the meeting that began Karl’s mindset shift towards gratitude What Karl does when he catches himself veering away from gratitude The question Karl asks himself that helps him tap into gratitude when he’s “just not feeling it” Karl explains how to leverage both willpower and way power to help you practice gratitude Karl gets into some of the scientific studies that have been made around the effects of gratitude These are the 3 levels of gratitude… The important thing Karl does at the end of the day What finally made the journaling habit stick for Karl This is what you can do start building the habit of bringing gratitude more consistently today Quote “If you can be grateful for who you are and know that you are good enough in what you bring to every day, then it makes everything else easier.” Helpful Links Bring Gratitude: Feel Joyful with Bite-Sized Mindset Practices Mindset First Club on Facebook Bring Gratitude Cards Bring Gratitude While gratitude may not have an immediate ROI when it comes to your productivity, the long-term benefits are massive. Like with meditation, simply practicing gratitude a little bit every day strengthens your resolve and builds momentum. Keeping a journal and asking yourself what you were grateful for over the course of your day can be a huge help… and you can also start your day off by simply telling yourself what you’re grateful for. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.I’m excited to welcome Jaime Masters as a guest on his episode of the podcast. Jaime is the host of Eventual Millionaire. She’s interviewed almost 500 self-made millionaires and billionaires. She’s been a business coaching for over 10 years and has taught six and seven-figure CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners how to double and triple their revenue. She has been featured in Yahoo Online, Inc.com, SUCCESS Magazine, Entrepreneur, Women’s Health Magazine, Business Insider, and more. I’ve been friends with Jaime for years and have had the pleasure of hanging out with her at events in cities all over the world. She loves business and all things geeky. She’s the mother of two amazing kids that are already making money in business as stilt walkers and contortionists. (I need to get my two kids on this whole “making money” thing!) I wanted to talk to Jaime about her latest venture: Ownerbox. It’s Jaime’s new brand that delivers business owners the dream they signed up for when they started their business. We talked about what her plan is for Ownerbox, why systems are important, and much more she does to help people build themselves more time. Talking Points What is Ownerbox? Why Ownerbox was created Why the “CEObox” and the “Ownerbox” are NOT the same Jaime tells The Story of Joey We discuss the idea of patience and how it translates into Jaime’s latest venture What Jaime’s intent was when she started her Eventual Millionaire brand Why Jaime thinks systemizing is important to success The discussion Jaime had with her kids when she told them that she was going to have someone else other than herself pick them up every once in a while Why Ownerbox helps owners “pick their spots” when it comes to where they spend their time and energy This is what Jaime recommends you do that will help you build yourself more time Quote “Knowing that systems work better is one thing. Doing them is totally another.“ Helpful Links Ownerbox The Productivityist Podcast: Michael Gerber The Productivityist Podcast: Paul Jarvis Eventual Millionaire: Michael Gerber Eventual Millionaire: Paul Jarvis Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball Method The Speed of Implementation: An Exclusive Offer for The Productivityist Podcast Jaime knows how to help business owners feel like they own their businesses instead of the other way around. That’s why it’s no wonder that she created Ownerbox; it’s a vehicle to help her do that. The big lesson here is that putting a system in place is not only a smart move…it’s the only move you can make if you want to run a successful business (and, really… a successful life). It reminds me of something that I’ve said time and time again: Frameworks foster freedom. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.This bonus episode celebrating International Podcast Day features a long-awaited return of the productivity banter between yours truly and my good friend and former co-host of Mikes in Mics, Michael Schechter. We talked about the Whole30 program and what Schechter is drinking during the episode because of it, what he means by "setting his combination," and what it's like to attend the annual Berkshire Hathaway meetings. You can check out Michael's guest post that I published in conjunction with this episode here. Happy International Podcast Day! Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I speak with my friend Jason Zook. Jason is the author of several books, including Own Your Weird: An Oddly Effective Way for Finding Happiness in Work, Life, and Love. Jason Zook is an unconventional entrepreneur. Tired of living a life that felt prescribed to him by society, Jason used his out-of-the-box thinking and ingenuity to create multiple profitable Internet-based businesses. From making $1m wearing sponsored t-shirts for a living with his IWearYourShirt business, to selling his last name twice and eventually even selling his future, Jason is all about owning his weird! Talking Points Why this book needed to come out now Jason and I discuss the resonance of the word “weird” over “different” What’s difficult about adopting the mindset that being weird isn’t just okay but how it can help you thrive What (and who) is this book really about? How do you pay attention to your “weird” above all of the other noise that’s out there? We talk about testing assumptions and how Jason does that Why Jason can’t work with a personal trainer to help him reach his fitness goals I reveal this episode’s Productivityist Podcast Pick of The Week Why in the world did Jason decide to “sell his future” and how did it work out for him? Does Jason look for weirdness when deciding to pursue projects? This is what Jason said in his book that you can do right now to make your life better Does every aspect of an initiative Jason pursues have to hit all three of his values? Jason explains how challenging it was to write the “how to” aspect of the book Quote “You cannot just go from 0 to 100 percent and be successful and have sustainability with it.” Helpful Links Get Own Your Weird The Productivityist Podcast #258: What You Can Learn from Napoleon Hill with Jeffrey Gitomer Wandering Aimfully @jasondoesstuff The big thing that you need to think about around “owning your weird” is that you should absolutely OWN IT. I’ve found that when I embrace my weirdness that it hasn’t led me astray – and has actually helped me forge a path that works even better for me. It’s definitely worked for Jason and I’m certain it will do the same for you. (You’ve also got a book out there now that can help you out if you need it!) Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I chat with my good friend Charlie Gilkey. He’s the author of the book Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done and is the founder of Productive Flourishing, a company that helps professional creatives, leaders, and changemakers take meaningful action on work that matters. Charlie and I have been friends for years and we see eye to eye and a lot in the world of personal productivity. This book has been a long time coming and we spend time discussing the building of the book, the role of pacing in productivity, the idea of the “thrash” and how it impacts finishing, and much more. There’s a lot to unpack in this episode and I’m really happy to bring to you. Enjoy! Talking Points We talk about the relationship between starting and finishing to the calendar How important is pacing when it comes to productivity? Charlie explains where folks like him and I can get in trouble How does someone keep themselves from getting run over by other projects when they are focusing on other ones? This is something that didn’t make the cut during the editing process of Charlie’s book Charlie says that this is one of the pillars of productivity What is thrashing? What does Charlie think about making all projects…well, projects? How did Charlie deal with thrashing during the writing of his book? Charlie talks about getting past the “hard side of things” Quote “A project in motion stays in motion. A project at rest stays at rest.” Helpful Links Start Finishing Productive Flourishing The Productivityist Podcast: Jon Acuff The Productivityist Podcast: Cal Newport The Productivityist Podcast: James Clear The Productivityist Podcast: Josh Kaufman The Productivityist Podcast: Austin Kleon Finishing is hard. But it can be done as long as you know that you’re going to face this idea of “thrashing” along the way, especially for things that really matter to you. I know I’m going to face that thrashing as I write my book (among other things) and knowing that is going to be there is the first step in seeing it through to the finish. The next step you could (and should) take is picking up Charlie’s book because it will help you with every other step thereafter. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.This time around I’m joined by Michael Ventura. Michael is the founder & CEO of Sub Rosa – a strategy and design practice – and the author of Applied Empathy. Michael and I talk about why it’s important to know the distinction between sympathy and empathy, what you can do if you want start applying empathy, and why knowing the differences between the types of empathy is important. I really enjoyed my conversation with Michael and I hope you do as well. Talking Points Michael suggests that finding empathy, let alone applying it, is as elusive as I think it is Michael digs into what empathy is but more importantly… what it isn’t Michael talks about the different types of empathy I ask Michael how someone who is trying to help or advise someone when you’re not able to completely empathize with them because their circumstances are so foreign to you Michael discusses the importance of asking questions and why follow up questions are so critical What is a virtue you need have in your toolkit to help you in applying empathy? When did Michael realize that empathy was something he needed to explore? How important is it for people to learn the language of empathy and apply it regularly? We talk about an easy way to understand the difference between sympathy and empathy How does Michael go about helping organizations foster empathy? How can someone take what Michael teaches and apply it on a personal level? What is a simple step that someone can take to start applying empathy today? Quote “If you go to a doctor and tell them ‘My knee hurts’ they don’t jump into ‘Well, there’s five different surgeries we could do to fix your knee.’ They’re going to do some x-rays, they’re going to some CAT scans, and what they might find is that you’ve got a bum ankle. And your ankle is going to throw off your knee a lot. So the root cause isn’t going to be the knee. The knee’s just where it’s showing up.” Helpful Links Applied Empathy Your Lack of Patience is Killing You Brené Brown: The Call to Courage While understanding and applying empathy may not seem helpful to your personal productivity, once you have a better grasp of empathy it can save you time when looking inward and dealing with others. Understanding and applying empathy can help you stay in touch with your humanity in a world that is driven by getting things done. I’m going to try to more on applying empathy to my work and my life and I encourage you to do the same. And Michael’s book is a great place to start. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode I speak with my friend and returning guest, Mike Rohde. Mike is the author of two bestselling books: The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook – and co-creator of the new Kickstarter project, The Sketchnote Ideabook. He presents workshops around the world that encourage people to use visual thinking skills to generate, capture and share ideas more effectively. Mike is also the illustrator of bestselling books REWORK, REMOTE, The $100 Startup, and The Little Book of Talent. He has been commissioned to create live sketchnotes for conferences and events, including SXSW Interactive, An Event Apart, Summit Series, and the World Domination Summit. We touched on a variety of topics during our conversation, including an industry that he is elated to see embracing sketchnotes, his usage (and the evolution) of The Daily Plan Bar, and all about his latest project: The Sketchnote Ideabook. Talking Points Why did Mike decide to create a notebook when there are so many out there now? What does Mike look for in a notebook? What has excited Mike most about the rise in popularity in sketchnoting? Mike talks about the intersection between digital and analog What’s happened with The Daily Plan Bar since the last time we spoke Where does Mike keep the long-term things he needs to work on at some point? Does Mike have plans for more products beyond The Sketchnote Ideabook? These are the things that surprised Mike the most as sketchnoting has spread over the years This is the one language that Mike is surprised that his books has not been translated into Quote “If you looked at everything then you wouldn’t have enough lifetime to look at it all.” Helpful Links The Sketchnote Ideabook The Revenge of Analog The Daily Plan Bar The Sketchnote Font The Sketchnote Mini-Workshop rohdesign The Sketchnote Army Analog isn’t going anywhere. It has evolved and will continue to evolve as it finds new ways to take hold in various aspects of our lives. Sketchnoting is an example of this; it’s been around for a decade and it keeps growing in popularity. I’m getting back into it myself and you’ll be seeing more and more of my work showing that in the weeks and months to come. I encourage you to check out the helpful links to see if sketchnoting will work for you. As far as I’m concerned, the sky is the limit for what Mike has crafted – and continues to craft. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.Ashleigh Hansberger is an award winning brand and business innovator. She was named by Inc Magazine as one of the “Top 30 Under 30” coolest entrepreneurs in America. She is the Co-founder and Chief of Strategy at Motto, a leading branding and digital agency that builds brands for emerging challengers and global brands who want to change the game in their industry. Ashleigh and I spend much of this episode talking about her first book, Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different, which is described as “an unorthodox business book for the rebels, outsiders, and provocateurs — anyone with the ambition to lead, create, inspire and provoke change on your own terms by owning who you are.” Are you a “rare breed” or not? Give this episode a listen and find out the answer to that question…and many more! Talking Points How Ashleigh encourages people to embrace being a rare breed We talk about impostor syndrome Ashleigh mentions one of the things that holds people back How Ashleigh helps companies leverage the rare breeds within their organization What can a “rare breed” do to get into a situation that works better for them? Do support systems exist for the rare breed? How do you find them? When one person who’s a rare breed steps up in an organization, do others that are usually follow suit? I talk about – oddly enough – pro wrestling and how it relates to the concept of being a rare breed and sharing vision We dig into why focusing on purpose, values, and vision is not something that we spend enough time on Do people who embrace their “rare breed-ness” do they have an easier time saying no or yes to certain things? Why do rare breeds have difficulty turning intentions into action? Does Ashleigh think that rare breeds act differently at work than when they are off the clock? Ashleigh reveals if she journals and her thoughts on journaling for rare breeds What’s one thing that Ashleigh feels that rare breeds could use to help them take action and thrive Quote “I call that self-care. To be able to define your vision…and to give yourself time to think ‘Why am I doing this in the first place?’, ‘Why is this important to me?’, ‘What is my purpose?’, ‘What are the values that we have?’ – that’s caring for your business or caring for yourself and your own path.” Relevant Links Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different The Greatest Showman The 5 Second Rule Episode 243: The Art of Noticing with Rob Walker This is Rare Breed Motto Being a rare breed can be tough. But you can make it work. There are support systems – albeit small – that can help. You don’t need to go it alone. If you’re willing to take risks and can find a way to deal with being a rare breed (or even embrace it) then you’ll be able to do great things consciously and consistently. Oh, and Ashleigh’s book can help you with that process. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.Jeffrey Gitomer joins me on this episode of the program. Jeffrey is the author of 15 best-selling books. He’s a creative, on-the-edge, writer and speaker whose expertise on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development is world renowned. Known for presentations, seminars, and keynote addresses that are funny, insightful, in your face, real world, off the wall, and on the money. Given exclusive access to the archives of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, Jeffrey’s most recent book is called Truthful Living: The First Writings of Napoleon Hill. It is the very foundation of Napoleon Hill’s self-help legacy: his long-lost original notes, letters, and lectures—now compiled, edited, and annotated for the modern reader. The focus of our conversation revolves around his book and his vast knowledge and understanding of Hill’s work. Talking Points Jeffrey offers a personal example of how he gets into the right mindset through mindfulness This is what Jeffrey does that most people don’t do to tap into productivity These are the only things that Jeffrey gets notified on…and he reveals how he mitigates the distractions that notifications can occur Jeffrey shares what Napoleon Hill was spending his time on leading up to his later success Listen to a passage from the book discussing “The 5 Point Rule’ What Hill would look at instead of productivity as a measuring stick How does Jeffrey keep himself from spreading himself too thin? This is what shocked Jeffrey when he was putting Truthful Living together Who to look to for timeless personal development advice instead of the latest writings on the subject Jeffrey discusses the sales tactics that don’t work any longer – including qualifying customers How can someone escape the grip of over complicating things? We talk about the concept of work-life balance and the lessons that Hill shares regarding that concept Jeffrey shares his thoughts on the importance of communication and how he’s used communication effectively Quote “Don’t look for the shortcut. Take the ‘longcut.’ The longcut will get you there a hell of a lot faster than the shortcut.” Relevant Links Truthful Living: The First Writings of Napoleon Hill Outliers: The Story of Success Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Manifesto The 106 Year Old Problem Self-Help Character Ryan Holiday on Medium Gitomer.com It's clear that much - if not all - of the advice related to time management and productivity has been around for a long time. I've discussed it on my blog and Jeffrey drives that point home through sharing the insights of Napoleon Hill. You don't need to look to articles online or shared posts on Facebook to discover what you can do to better yourself in these areas. The good stuff has been out there for a while now. That stuff is timeless. Spend time looking into the work of the past and you'll find ways to better shape your future. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode of the podcast, I spend time chatting with Paula Mosher Wallace. We spoke about the emotional component that needs to get considered when you’re trying to manage your time. It’s something that Paula feels gets cast aside in a world driven by the pursuit of productivity at all costs. I met Paula at Jeff Goins’s Tribe Conference and we spent a lunch break learning more about each other, something that led to me asking her to join me on the show. We touch on several of the discussion points we brought up during that lunch break but go deeper into things than we did on that day. Talking Points Paula shares her experience with productivity in business and her personal life Why (and how) Paula challenged me on my methodology and philosophy of TimeCrafting What Paula believes the “missing piece” is to most – if not all – time management systems When and where does the emotional time management piece come into play if one’s day was mapped out We look at strategies that you can use to keep going even when emotional turmoil shows up Why does Paula think people fight off their emotions when it comes to this kind of thing? What Paula recommends people do to get started with taking emotional time management into account The importance of finding whatever you need to use to help you keep your intentions front and center What’s one thing that someone can do right to get started with emotional time management? The things you can do to help you either work through or offset the toll that emotions can have on you Does Paula journal…and what are her thoughts on journaling? Quote “It’s understanding that I have long term and meaningful – kind of what I call ‘eternal’ goals – like my relationship with my children that is not a task.” Relevant Links Bloom In The Dark Tribe Conference Episode 215: Running Down a Dream with Tim Grahl Bloom Forward Journal You’ll find that I thought we’d be wrapping up this episode at about the 30 minute mark but Paula and I kept going. This episode is definitely more of a back-and-forth conversation than I usually deliver. I was so involved in the conversation because I feel the piece Paula is bringing to light is that crucial. Honestly, the big takeaway from this episode is that taking and making time to take emotional time management into account is important. Really important. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by fellow Canadian and author of the book Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition and Accelerate Your Career, Scott H. Young. Scott is a writer, programmer, traveler and avid reader of interesting things. His blog is one of my personal “must reads” and over its lifespan it has asked the compelling question: What’s the best way to learn? On this episode of the podcast, I wanted to talk to Scott about the answers to that question his blog (and writing) has been pondering since its beginnings. I also wanted to explore the idea of “ultra learning,” why striving to be an “ultralearner” is a worthwhile pursuit, and plenty of other productivity-related questions that I’ve wanted to ask him ever since I started following his work years ago. Talking Points What is ultralearning? The differences between “just in time learning” and ultralearning and how they can work together What the first thing Scott “ultralearned” was and how it went for him What you can do to get past the misconception that you don’t have time to spend on ultralearning These are the principles of ultralearning that people tend to “mess up” the most Why Scott had to explain the principles of ultra learning and offer tactics that may work in conjunction with those principles The best principle that offers a springboard to ultralearning The role that focus plays in ultralearning Is there a point when you tend to find it’s time to abandon ultralearning a particular subject or area? How spending time ultralearning can lead towards a pivot Why does this book matter now? Quote “The ultralearner is the person who is going to do that hard thing even if it’s a little bit more uncomfortable and get that result rather than someone who is going to do that easy thing that isn’t going to make much progress.” Relevant Links Get Ultralearning by Scott H. Young Episode 226: How to Build a Company of One with Paul Jarvis The MIT Challenge Episode 211: Hyperfocus with Chris Bailey Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength Episode 201: Willpower Doesn’t Work with Benjamin Hardy Scott Young’s Blog By the time you’re done listening to this episode you’ll have a sense not only what ultra learning is and how it can work for you, but that it’s something you can certainly do if you decide it’s important enough to make happen. That’s the key. (FYI: Scott’s book will help you with that decision.) Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Joel Heath. Joel is founder & CEO of FluidStance, the world’s first work platform that elicits subtle movement where you are stuck working. His personal purpose is to move the world and FluidStance’s purpose is to help set the world in motion. Talking Points How I’ve been using my FluidStance deck What FluidStance is and why Joel started FluidStance How the FluidStance fits into my office “productivity zones” Joel describes what he calls “The 70-20-10 Model” How Joel approaches the concept of moderation in various areas of his life Joel’s thoughts on walking meetings and recognizing his true role in his company How someone can adopt healthier habits and forge a healthier lifestyle How the words we use can really shift perspective and choice What Joel thinks about the term “work-life balance” We talk a bit about comfort and complacency How important it is the element of beauty and craft in what Joel does Quote “A thousand changes in a positive direction can have a huge impact.” Relevant Links FluidStance Episode 227: Why You Need Atomic Habits with James Clear How I Built This: Michael Rubin Episode 229: Exploring Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport Here’s One Thing You Can Do to Make Your To Do List Better I had a great time chatting with Joel and I’ve been using my FluidStance deck off and on ever since our conversation. I could stand to use it more often (see what I did there?) and revisiting this episode when putting together these notes have inspired me to do so. Why? Because I have been working on my health over the past several months and I know that my FluidStance deck can have a positive impact on that project. And as Joel said…every little bit helps. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I speak with Mike McDerment, the co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks. FreshBooks is the world’s #1 cloud accounting software for self-employed professionals. Built in 2003 after he accidentally saved over an invoice, Mike spent 3.5 years growing FreshBooks from his parents’ basement. Since then, over 24 million people have used FreshBooks to save time billing, and collect billions of dollars. A lover of the outdoors, Mike has been bitten so many times it’s rumoured he’s the first human to have developed an immunity to mosquitoes. Mike McDerment is also the author of Breaking the Time Barrier – How to Unlock Your True Earning Potential, a book that lets most freelancers and small businesses discover their billing blind spots and determine if they are charging what they are really worth. Small business owners sometimes struggle to assert their worth in a competitive market place. Sometimes, they suffer from imposter syndrome. Other times, they just feel grateful to have clients who pay on time, so they undercharge. And, over time, some simply don’t increase their rates, afraid of having awkward money conversations. But, rest assured, they are not alone. If you run a small business, knowing and charging your worth can be a difficult thing so Mike McDerment and Donald Cowper wrote this book as a guide to value-based pricing and unlocking your true earning potential. Talking Points The history and background of FreshBooks What has FreshBooks become and where is it at right now? The equation between time and money and what a “time barrier” is Quantitative productivity versus qualitative productivity Billing by the hour versus billing by value Why did Mike start a secret company to compete with his existing one? The value of the secret company experiment and the time spent doing the experiment Spending time with exploration and experimentation Approaching life on a complementary lens How does Mike McDerment approach his work? Quote “With the time barrier in the book, the premise is around called value based billing. So instead of charging how much time you spent on something instead charge the value you bring. The two don’t always go together. I think that’s the thing that people don’t understand.” Relevant Links: Website Twitter LinkedIn Book: Breaking the Time Barrier – How to Unlock Your True Earning Potential The key takeaway from this episode is that the ability to work so little and produce so much income had a lot to do with how one priced and positioned his or her services, something most small business owners struggle with. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I spent time with Kris McPeak. Kris is the author of “Elevate Your 8: 21 Days to Prosperous Time Management” and the CEO of SilverPeak Development, an online career coaching community. During the day she also works at the foundation of a community college. Kris loves swimming, knitting, binge-watching TV, and learning new things. Kris McPeak is a self-appointed guru on work-life balance and finding your dream job. Kris worked successfully and happily in higher education, specifically College Housing. She came to a point in her career where the late hours and high touch students are parents started sucking the life out of her. Kris made a claim that she was going to be a housing officer who worked a 40 hour work week and stick to it. According to Kris McPeak’s book, Elevate Your 8: 21 Days to Prosperous Time Management, productivity and time management success comes down to simple math. There are 24 workable hours in every day. Work 8 hours. Sleep 8 hours. What’s left? 8 Hours. How do you be more productive and manage your time? You elevate your 8. Talking Points What are the “8”? What can be done with hours after the “8”? On measuring time spent on doing things Things that needs to be done now vs. Things that can be done later Scheduling the weekend The concept of pairing activities and journaling things What can one do to help them elevate their 8? Quote “If we are only working 8 hours a day and we are getting a full 8 hours of sleep at night, what remains is 8 hours. So when I say elevate your 8, that is where you are taking the time to prioritize and utilize those other 8 hours to really ramp up your time management and productivity.” Relevant Links: Website Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Pinterest Book: Elevate Your 8: 21 Days to Prosperous Time Management The key takeaway from this episode is that if one works only 8 hours a day and sleeps 8 hours a day, then time management boils down to that “Other 8” and that’s usually where people get tripped up. People should think of time as money and prioritize their “spending” because there truly are only 24 usable hours every day. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Owen Video. Owen creates livestream and YouTube strategies for brands including show concept, talent, and marketing strategy. His clients’ shows have been recognized as best in class – and with Owen they continue to push the limit in discovering what’s possible with online video. Owen started the Video Marketing School so that business owners could learn how to generate sales with video. It all started going door-to-door. In 2010, the business community hadn’t even heard of YouTube and the opportunity to reach a marketplace through social media. This is where Owen’s online education began – knocking on doors to offer business video marketing for $20. In one day, he had done 17 videos and he knew he was on to something. Before long, many of these companies were asking for help with websites, social media, and lead generation. So Owen took the money he was making and invested heavily into online marketing courses, coaching, books, events, and trainings, that would grow his skills and turn him into the masterful marketing machine that he is today. This was also the time that Owen was creating viral videos. He wrote and produced a series of short films for use in Christian media. Specifically, sermon illustrations, home study videos, and apologetic resources. Many of those videos went viral and some have been purchased for use all over the US. Owen still earn royalties on those films to this day. Talking Points What propelled Owen Video to dive into the video space? The journey of producing YouTube videos before as compared to now Getting the process in place for someone who wants to create a video How does one get away from the allure of doing a podcast, blog, video, etc. all at the same time? What did facing cancer teach Owen? On scheduling using a calendar and time management How to get started making or creating videos Quote “We believe in the market leader approach. Video is just video unless you are trying to be a market leader and that is what we want.” Relevant Links: Website Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube The key takeaway from this episode that productivity, like in many aspects of our work and lives, really does play a role in making videos. Owen knows this and has developed a way to make sure productivity is part of the production process. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Rich Karlgaard. Rich Karlgaard, author of Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement, is the publisher of Forbes magazine and is based in Silicon Valley. He is a lecturer, pilot, and the author of four acclaimed previous books. A self-proclaimed late bloomer, he had a mediocre academic career at Stanford (which he got into by a fluke), and after graduating, worked as a dishwasher, night watchman, and typing temp before finally finding the inner motivation and drive that ultimately led him to his current career trajectory. After a mediocre academic career at Stanford (which he got into on a fluke), Rich couldn’t hold a job beyond dishwasher, night watchman, and typing temp throughout the majority of his twenties. It wasn’t until his late twenties that his brain “woke up” and he finally found the inner motivation and drive that set him on his current career trajectory. Now, he’s an award-winning entrepreneur-turned-publisher, columnist, author, television commentator, private investor and board director and he’s on a mission to show why we and our employers need to redefine our expectations for the timeline for achievement. In Late Bloomers, which has already received early praise from Adam Grant, Arianna Huffington, and Dan Pink, Rich argues that our society’s growing obsession with wunderkinds has led many of us to buy into a distorted and vastly limiting narrative that if we’re not prodigies, we’ve failed. And yet, a growing body of research in psychology and neuroscience shows that many of us just aren’t wired for such early success: the executive function of our brains, which enables us to see ahead and plan effectively, doesn’t mature until age 25 or later, and different types of our intelligence peak at different stages of our lives, with creative insight improving into middle age. Talking Points Why is it important for Rich to write the book Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement? The role of the media in forcing people to achieve early in life How important is it for young people or late bloomers to be patient? How does one navigate to maturity? Traits that late bloomers have that younger people don’t have The perception of productivity between young people and late bloomers The role of social media for the young people and the late bloomers What can be done with the educational system to fix the false sense of what it can bring Quote “The pressure that we are putting on kids to achieve spectacularly and early so they can get into elite colleges so that they can get first jobs at Google or Goldman Sachs is unwarranted because it rewards kids who are really good at taking tests. It rewards those with determined focus and not all kids are built like that. And you see rising raise of anxiety, depression and we even had an epidemic of suicide.” RELEVANT LINKS Website Twitter LinkedIn Book: Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement The key takeaway from this episode is echoes the popular fable The tortoise and The Hare – with the hare being admired more than the tortoise. The idea of slow and steady winning the race still has real power in a world that praises speed and hustle above all else. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spend time with John Poelstra on a different kind of episode. I actually walk through the elements of adding elements of TimeCrafting to his productivity workflow through a series of conversations over the course of a five day period. Essentially, you’re getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like working with me through one of my Productivityist Coaching experiences. Here’s a little about today’s guest (and producer of The Productivityist Podcast) John Poelstra… John helps people take complete ownership of their lives and live in ways that are most meaningful to them–even when they think it’s impossible. This is the crux of his beliefs. John would say that he’s in the “personal development” and “human potential” business and that he help end unnecessary suffering. John loves clarifying confusing ideas and complicated situations that thwart progress and distract people from what’s most important. He helps people get clear on what they want and own their path to it. John helped executives, managers, small business owners, engineers, marketers, and people who are done having life happen to them and want to create something better. Talking Points Monday: How John’s doing on Monday morning and how he’s lining up his day Monday: John’s normal Monday theme Monday: How important is it for John to start the week right? Monday: Mike’s homework for John Tuesday: On how John usually set up his Mondays Tuesday: Setting up Planning Day Tuesday: What is John going to learn today? Wednesday: What did John learn yesterday? Wednesday: Focusing on what things to do Wednesday: John’s theme for the day Wednesday: Mike’s challenge for John Thursday: How was John’s Wednesday? Thursday: Lessons on focusing Thursday: Things to talk about on Friday Friday: How John feels about keeping a consistent theme throughout the week and weeks beyond? Friday: Setting up the theme for the day Friday: Mike reveals the recommended number of weeks where people should practice adopting their theme days Friday: John’s takeaway from his themed 5 days Quote “I cannot say enough about the power of focus and just having these boundaries around what you are supposed to be working on.” Relevant Links Website Twitter LinkedIn Podcast: Theme Your Way to Greater Productivity with Mike Vardy (46) The key takeaway from this episode is that having an outside perspective and accountability can help you see the “blind spots” in your workflow and enhance your personal productivity in the short and long term. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Angelo Poli. Angelo Poli is an internationally recognized expert in fitness and nutrition. He’s the Founder of MetPro, the world’s first algorithm based transformation engine. Using a process called “Metabolic Profiling”, MetPro analyzes your metabolism and provides an individualized approach to obtaining your health goals. Angelo has been featured for his specialty in Neuromuscular Re-education (Posture and Alignment) and weight loss sciences in major media outlets such as Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, and he is a regular contributor for The Huffington Post. Angelo has spoken at conferences such as TEDx and continues to be a Wellness Consultant for multiple universities and hospitals around the country. Angelo Poli has spent much of his career as a motivational speaker, speaking regularly at universities, and hospitals around the country. Angelo was a featured speaker at TEDxChico where he discussed his own achievement in overcoming obstacles. After recovering from a crippling injury himself, Angelo brought to light a whole new way of thinking about health, fitness, and weight loss. His high-profile clientele range in scope from Olympic Athletes, NFL MVPs to physique models, and business leaders. Those who have been fortunate enough to gain coaching from Angelo have consistently achieved exceptional results regardless of their demanding schedules, significant injuries, and crippled metabolisms. Angelo has been featured for his specialty in Neuromuscular Re-education (Posture and Alignment) and weight loss sciences in major media outlets such as Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, and The Hungton Post. In his 20 years of educating the masses and challenging generalized health guidance, Angelo has become one of the most celebrated and desired body transformation experts in the world. Talking Points Who is Angelo Poli and what got him interested in fitness, nutrition, and strength? Where does one begin with his/her fitness journey? The five areas to look at when developing a strategy The accountability and flexibility of MetPro The framework using the MetPro process On hitting a plateau while using MetPro The importance of the MetPro data Nutrition and identifying the levers that will help achieve ones goal On prepping and planning meals On how time management is a big part of MetPro Quote “I do sometimes retreats and seminars and things like that. People would come to this and say, Mr. Poli I know the names that you worked with or the athletes and this and that… What’s your secret? What is the best food to eat? What is the best exercise to do? And I explain to them, you are asking the wrong questions. That is not the secret to my success! If you want to know the secret to our success with our clients – time management. It’s all about time management and getting the most out of your strategy.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram The key takeaways from this episode is that weight loss is not merely about eating well or eating poorly. Weight loss is an adaptive response and is unique to ones body. (And you have to walk the talk when it comes to your health and fitness.) Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Chad Barger. Chad Barger is a fundraising coach, productivity guru and vlogger. Chad teaches charities how to optimize their fundraising, so they can focus on changing the world. He is the founder and managing director of the firm Productive Fundraising which focuses on implementing simple, effective fundraising systems as well as strategies to strengthen nonprofit boards of directors. Chad Barger [BAR-jur] teaches small charities to fundraise more effectively. He is better known to many as @fundraiserchad, a trusted guide to the fundraising tactics and tools that are working today. He is a sought after nonprofit fundraising consultant, trainer and coach. Chad has spent his entire career as a fundraiser. He has worked in large shops and small in a variety of sectors (higher education, social services and the arts). He has built fundraising programs from the ground up, rebuilt fundraising programs back to their former glory and taken stagnant organizations to the next level. The campaigns that he has worked on have raised in excess of $40 million dollars for the charities that he’s had the honor of serving. Talking Points What Chad brings to the table when it comes to productive fundraising and the area he focuses in particular How to help an organization that has a small team What led Chad to the path of fundraising and how did he apply his productivity tactics Chad’s thoughts on money and expectations How attuned is Chad on finding gaps in processes that people have in place How does Chad structure his time to allow him to put his best foot forward with his work and family What to do when something doesn’t go right or doesn’t work What’s next for Chad Barger? How to get people on board to do the “small things” Quote “I’m a big fan of harmony over balance. That is the key. How do you maintain that harmony? It’s okay if one thing needs more time now and the other ones need more time later.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram The key takeaways from this episode is that personal productivity is (at least) half of the problem when doing fundraising. You have to pivot fix that first to create a strong foundation for their new fundraising system. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Jeff McMahon. Jeff is a virtual trainer turned online entrepreneurs like Amy Porterfield, Pat Flynn, John Lee Dumas, and many more. Jeff work to help business owners feel more confident, strong, and healthy so they can dominate in their business and have more energy throughout their day. His degree is pre-med/pre-pharm with dual certifications in injury rehab and sports medicine. He has been a fitness expert for over a decade now working with 1,000’s of people throughout the world. How did Jeff McMahon got into Virtual Training? Jeff’s mom has had health issues since he was born. He originally wanted to be a surgeon to help take care of her, but being colorblind made that dream impossible. She had a major stroke when he was a freshman in college and lost the use of the left side of her body. Then came breast cancer [twice], brain deterioration, a heart attack. One day she suggested to Jeff that he should train people online that have suffered strokes and can’t get out of their home. Jeff thought about it, they tried it with his mom’s stroke support group, and then he took that format to the online entrepreneur world. Basically, his mom’s handicap has transformed the fitness world and started a whole new revolution. Talking Points How Jeff helped people live a better life through fitness and wellness How does virtual training work? How did virtual training get started? What made Jeff choose that kind of program? The benefits of accountability The challenges Jeff faced when building his business Jeff’s take on peloton workout The importance of giving a personal touch Having “new year’s resolutions” and the role that accountability plays with them Why personalization is becoming a critical part of the business The thing(s) that can get people from zero to step one when trying to get fit Having patience and accountability when it comes to doing things Quote “Nothing is permanent. Once you stop working out you will not have the same body that you had when you were working out so the key is just to workout for the rest of your life.” Relevant Links Website Twitter The key takeaways from this episode include: Don’t miss out on taking care of yourself so you can take care of your to-do list, your obligations, and all the other things that you have to take care of on a daily basis. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Justin Kerr. Justin is a self-described efficiency monster, He is the author of the rogue corporate playbooks How to Write an Email and How to Be a Boss. He is also the mouthpiece of the MR CORPO podcast and has been the youngest senior executive at some of the world’s biggest apparel companies (Gap, Old Navy, Levi’s, UNIQLO) running billion-dollar businesses while finding time to write 14 books, tour the country with his rock band and keep 100,000 bees on his roof. He is currently president of Imprint Projects in New York City. Justin Kerr climbed to the top of the corporate ladder before reaching age 40. His book, entitled How to Be Great at Your Job takes the guesswork out of career success and breaks down what it takes to excel at your job. It covers the basics, like the universal requirements of every workplace—working with other people, making stellar presentations, communicating effectively over email. And it also goes into how to get promoted sooner, impress the people high up on the corporate ladder, and do it all while maintaining your personal life and without working crazy hours. With helpful tips and simple advice, this professional guidebook is just right for someone new to the workplace or for a mid-life career changer. Talking Points Background on who Justin Kerr and how the book, How to Be Great at Your Job came to be On the term “efficiency monster” On being caught with the email trap The processes put in place to allow a person to be more efficient On how to over-communicate that works best for a company On building credibility over time On doing work by breaking them into smaller components On giving updates On getting so far ahead and in return getting more work thrust upon you How does Justin manages his time The best thing about the book Quote “Always be giving the updates because keep in mind the people you worked with are human beings and a lot of us can lose the side of that. We get titles and VPs and assistants but they are human beings – they get nervous, they have their own concerns, they are worried about their own boss – all of these different things. So telling people what is going on is just gonna lower the temperature a little bit.” Relevant Links Website Instagram Twitter Podcast Google+ Book: How to Be Great at Your Job The key takeaways from this episode include: how to work with other human beings, how to balance life and work, what to do if someone at work hates you, and (of course) the critical skill of how to win an “email fight”. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time again with Marc and Angel Chernoff. Marc and Angel Chernoff are New York Times bestselling authors, professional coaches, full-time students of life, admirers of the human spirit, and have been recognized by Forbes as having “one of the most popular personal development blogs.” Through their blog, books, course and coaching, they’ve spent the past decade writing about and teaching proven strategies for finding lasting happiness, success, love, and peace. Millions of readers turn to Marc and Angel Chernoff as they wrote 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently for fresh, intimate insights for a fulfilled life. In this pithy and empowering guide, they collect the very best advice they’ve discovered, on topics that include overcoming setbacks, letting go of what’s holding us back, nurturing relationships, finding time for self-care, and cultivating passion in order to achieve our wildest dreams. Talking Points On their new book: 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently On the idea of the list in the book Revisiting the content of the book and choosing which applies to them now On writing the book as new parents The writer vs. the reader perspective On the process of editing the book The idea of the “little things” On the adding triggers to the “to-do list” Quote “Keep doing what you are doing and you will keep getting what you are getting. That is how it works! You have to make a shift. You have to make changes. And the changes need to be small and consistent.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Book: 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently This episode teaches us that millions of people live their entire lives on default settings, never realizing they can customize everything and we should not be one of those millions of people. We should not settle for the default settings in life. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Bob Rosen. Bob is the founder and CEO of Healthy Companies and is a trusted global CEO advisor, organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author of eight books. His latest book entitled CONSCIOUS: The Power of Awareness in Business and Life was published by Wiley in July 2018. Bob Rosen discussed how our world is changing faster than our ability to adapt. Ambushed by speed, complexity, and uncertainty, many of us are unprepared for this acceleration. We act on autopilot as new challenges confront us. We are too reactive to problems and miss out on opportunities. We get hijacked by conflicting values and polarizing relationships. We face uncertainty with fear and mistrust. Stress and burnout are pervasive as many of us do not perform up to our potential. Talking Points On the term “conscious leaders” and what happens when you found those leaders The commonality of people who are consciously aware The four reasons why people aren’t changing fast enough On the idea of reflection How do people get past cognitive biases? Where can people start to “go deep”? On what is next after the book CONSCIOUS: The Power of Awareness in Business and Life On the book Grounded: How Leaders Stay Rooted in an Uncertain World Quote “Organizations are healthy only when the leaders are healthy. The very best leaders were a combination of self-aware and deeply committed to their own development.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Book: CONSCIOUS: The Power of Awareness in Business and Life Book: Grounded: How Leaders Stay Rooted in an Uncertain World This episode teaches us to be aware, awake, and accountable. Nothing is more important than understanding ourselves, our relationships, and our surroundings. Conscious is the new smart. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Rob Walker. Rob Walker is a journalist covering design, technology, business, the arts, and other subjects. He writes the Human Resource column for Lifehacker, and has contributed to The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Atlantic, TheNewYorker.Com, Design Observer, The Organist, and many others. His book The Art of Noticing (Knopf) comes out in May 2019. He is on the faculty of the Products of Design MFA program at the School of Visual Arts. Rob Walker wrote the book, The Art of Noticing. This gorgeously illustrated volume will spark your creativity and most importantly, help you see the world anew. Through a series of simple and playful exercises with 131 of them, Rob maps ways for you to become a clearer thinker, a better listener, a more creative workplace colleague and finally, to rediscover your sense of passion and to notice what really matters to you. Talking Points How do you define “noticing” and how does that play a role in how we craft our lives? On the notion of productivity and efficiency On “noticing” as the backbone of curiosity What is being productive? What led Rob to spend time on the topic of noticing? Is Rob the Jerry Maguire of noticing? On “noticing” when it comes to comedy On the idea of attunement vs. alignment On the idea of time management Why is the book, The Art of Noticing, important right now? How many ways did not make it into the book? Which of the 131 exercises stood out and which is the most unconventional? Does Rob journal and if so how? Quote “It is not about your skill at noticing, more on the habit of noticing that sort of forces you to see differently and to see things that you weren’t looking for.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter Tumbler Book: The Art of Noticing This episode welcomed us to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Tonya Dalton. Tonya Dalton started her first business in 20019 working out of her home juggling two small kids. By 2011, she had grown the business to the point where her husband could leave corporate America. The company continued to flourish, but something was missing. In 2014, she closed up shop to follow her true passion, inkWELL Press ®—a company centered around productivity tools, training and education. Tonya’s messages about business management, productivity, and the pursuit of passion have impacted thousands and inspired her to launch her podcast, Productivity Paradox, and her online productivity course, The liveWELL Method™ Tonya Dalton is a productivity expert who believes that too many people feel overwhelmed with all that they have to do each day. She owns inkWELL Press, a business focused on helping others use productivity to pursue big goals and end each day feeling satisfied and successful. Her messages about productivity, goals, and purpose have impacted thousands and inspired her to launch her podcast, Productivity Paradox. Talking Points On how Tonya get it to productivity The idea of the “north star” On how to help people who get sidetracked from their productivity goals On productivity framework or system On women being productivity experts On productivity apps On people trying to do things all at once Things that Tonya still struggles with when it comes to productivity On productivity being a lifestyle, a journey and an ongoing thing Quotes “I’ve talked to people about following their north star and for me your north star is made out of three things. It is really what you are doing so your mission statement, what you are dreaming so your vision statement or where you want to go and the defining things so the core value and things that are going to get you there.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram YouTube This episode I’m reminded how overwhelming it can be to feel like you have a million things to do each day but if you have a mission, a dream and a core value plus factoring in productivity will really help your life. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Don Yaeger. Don is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, eleven-time New York Times best-selling author, and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated. He has fashioned a career as one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story. Don Yaeger is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. He is also often retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders, management teams, and employees on building a culture of greatness by studying great teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them. Additionally, as an Executive Coach, Don has worked with a range of leaders from the president of the largest bank in the Caribbean to CEOs of financial services companies to technology executives. His coaching model is based on years of experience and study with those who have inspired championship-level teams. Throughout his writing career, he has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to almost every major talk show – from The Oprah Winfrey Show to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America. Talking Points On areas that Don wanted to dive more into with his work On projects where Don had the “Aha!” moment On sports in general How to handle adversities The importance of having structures and framework On Don’s process when crafting a book The people that Don look up to On Don’s daily routine Lessons that Don wanted to pass on to his kids On establishing good habits and breaking bad habits On sport metaphors or sports analogies Three books that Don would recommend people Quote “Most of us do our jobs and we don’t think about how the access or the opportunity created for us could be part of our own personal development and I made it part of mine early. And I started asking that question. And the question I choose is ‘If you could name for me one habit, one thing you’ve done consistently, that allowed you to go places your competitors couldn’t go, what would that habit be?’ and I just kept a list of the answers these great winners has given me.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Book: A Game Plan for Life: The Power of Mentoring This episode lets us know how to achieve success without sacrificing principles and how to build one of the most productive and rewarding relationships available to any athlete, businessperson, teacher, or parent-that of mentor and protégé. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Humble the Poet. Kanwer Singh aka Humble The Poet is a Toronto-bred MC/Spoken word artist with an aura that embodies the diversity and resiliency of one of the world’s most unique cities. With tattoos, beard, head wrap, and a silly smile, Humble commands attention. He stimulates audiences with ideas that challenge conventional wisdom and go against the grain, with dynamic live sets that shake conventions and minds at the same time. Humble sees life with unique clarity. In his book, Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths for a Better Life, he opens our eyes to our own lives, helping us to recognize the possibilities that await us and the challenges that prevent us from realizing our dreams. With his characteristic honesty and forthrightness, he helps us shed the problematic lessons we’ve learned throughout our lives that limit us, from sabotaging habits, to fixed mindsets, to past regrets, and relearn new, unconventional ways of moving through life. Profound in its simplicity, Unlearn is the perfect invitation to a new beginning and to pursue a life of fulfillment. Talking Points A little bit more about Humble the Poet What does “Unlearn” the book mean for Humble the Poet How important is the virtue of patience On process vs. progress Main lessons that people talk about from the book, Unlearn On the idea of journaling On his daily routine – morning or night person On his next plan and goal What is the takeaway from his book, Unlearn Where can people get stuff from Humble the Poet? Quote “Give a damn about yourself then give a damn about those you care about and then see if there are any more damns left to give.” Relevant Links Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat YouTube Book: Unlearn This episode made us realize that the hurdles or challenges that we experience is part of life and there are ways that we can follow to improve ourselves and our lives. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time with Michael Hyatt. Michael Hyatt is the founder and CEO of Michael Hyatt & Company, a leadership development firm specializing in transformative live events, workshops, and digital and physical planning tools. In his newest book, Free to Focus, Michael reveals to readers nine proven ways to win at work so they are finally free to succeed at the rest of life. Michael has been married to his wife, Gail, for forty years. They have five daughters, three sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren. They live just outside Nashville, Tennessee. Michael Hyatt focus on how everyone gets 168 hours a week, but it never feels like enough. Work gobbles up the lion’s share. Most people think productivity is about finding or saving time. But it’s not. It’s about making our time work for us. In his book, Free to Focus, it reveals to readers nine proven ways to win at work so they are finally free to succeed at the rest of life–their health, relationships, hobbies, and more. He helps readers redefine their goals, evaluate what’s working, cut out the nonessentials, focus on the most important tasks, manage their time and energy, and build momentum for a lifetime of success. Talking Points On Michael’s new book, Free to Focus On Michael’s definition and background on productivity On the idea of hitting the reset button Scheduling every hour of the day vs. leaving white space in your calendar On making time for others On how to not forget things The idea of the intersection between passion and proficiency How to say “no” with grace Tips for delegation, scaling yourself and getting an assistant How the book Free to Focus came to be On planning and mapping your week What is a backstage and frontstage work Ideas on how to beat distractions On productivity being a personal thing How does it feel to be Michael Hyatt the leader? What does journaling look like for a Michael Hyatt? Parting advice to the listeners Quote “We have got to ask ourselves, what is it that we are trying to achieve through productivity? The first part of the book is all under the umbrella of STOP. We have got to stop and ask ourselves why are we on this hamster wheel? What is it that we are trying to accomplish? And where is it leading?” Relevant Links Website Twitter Facebook Instagram Blog Book: Free to Focus This episode made us realize that many professionals are working as much as 70 hours a week thinking that they are productive but productivity is about making our time work for us. Just imagine having free time again. It’s not a pipe dream. I hope you will learn as much as I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s podcast episode, I spend time with Austin Kleon. Austin is the New York Times bestselling author of three illustrated books: Steal Like An Artist, Newspaper Blackout, and Show Your Work! His next book is Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad. His books have over a million copies in print and has been translated into over two dozen languages. He speaks about creativity in the digital age for organizations such as Pixar, Google, SXSW, TEDx, and The Economist. In previous lives, he worked as a librarian, a web designer, and an advertising copywriter. Austin Kleon knows that the creative life is not a linear journey to a finish line, it’s a loop so one needs to find a daily routine, because today is the only day that matters. In his book, Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad, Austin celebrates getting outdoors and taking a walk. Pay attention, and especially pay attention to what you pay attention to. Worry less about getting things done, and more about the worth of what you’re doing. Instead of focusing on making your mark, work to leave things better than you found them. Talking Points About Austin’s book: Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad On the importance of having a daily routine On the idea of having a place to do creative work How to combat the speed of life On the idea of having boundaries Building flexibility on your creative side The idea of paying attention more than the passage of time On the importance of having a journal On using materials for his books that is not on the “modern moment” How do you fool around with time? Quote “Time is the thing you get and you don’t know how much time you get. I think time is exactly what we are up against and it is exactly the real currency that we get to spend in this life. To not waste it and if your gonna waste it, to waste it deliciously. To waste it in the best way you can is the best thing you can do.” Relevant Links Austin Kleon Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumbler Book: Keep Going Book: Show Your Work! Book: Steal Like An Artist Journal: Steal Like An Artist Book: Newspaper Blackout This episode teaches us that creative work is hard and how hard it is to keep going. We just need encouragement whether we are burned out, starting out, starting over, or wildly successful in the creative side. I hope you will learn as much as I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s podcast episode, I spend time with Kevin Kruse once again. Kevin is the Founder and CEO of LEADx (leadx.org), an AI startup that created “Coach Amanda”, the world’s first executive coach built with IBM Watson. LEADx has the mission to spark the next 100 million leaders around the world. Kruse is also a New York Times bestselling author, host of the LEADx Leadership Podcast, and previous winner of Inc 500 awards for fast growth and Best Place to Work awards for company culture. Kevin Kruse knows two things about leadership that most people do not believe. First, leadership is a superpower. Second, almost everything we’ve been taught about leadership is wrong. In Great Leaders Have No Rules, New York Times bestselling author and successful entrepreneur Kevin Kruse debunks popular wisdom with ten contrarian principles for better, faster, easier leadership. Talking Points On great leaders having no rules Leading your time vs. managing your time On the “open door policy” as a productivity killer How to open up your calendar Instead of putting rules, what should a leader do instead? Defining extreme productivity On the 15-secrets mentioned on the last book On the idea of slowing down and adopting what successful leaders do Quote “We all have the same 1,440 minutes a day. You are not gonna make more time. So, it is really leading your energy, leading your schedule, and leading your minutes.” Relevant Links Kevin Kruse – Website Kevin Kruse – Twitter Kevin Kruse – Facebook Kevin Kruse – LinkedIn Kevin Kruse – YouTube Kevin Kruse – Blog Great Leaders Have No Rules by Kevin Kruse This episode teaches us the lesson that we are in charge of our time. How we spend our time will makes us great leaders. I hope you will learn as much as I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s podcast episode, I spend time with Clayton Morris. Clayton Morris is a former FOX News Anchor who left the #1 cable news show in the world after achieving financial freedom through his real estate company, Morris Invest. He now devotes himself to helping others buy their first rental property, build passive income, and achieve financial freedom. Anything, both good and bad can happen to anyone at anytime. In this episode, Clayton and I discussed the importance of building passive income and achieving financial freedom. From being a FOX News Anchor and after some epic failures he’s learned how to build a meaningful life with work-life balance. Talking Points How to be a bulldog with your productivity? On work environment On books and reading Ryan Holiday’s “one shelf idea” On creating or finding things to remind you of why you are doing what you are doing Making a shift from being an anchorman On creating a financial parachute or soft landing spot On 401K and retirement Diving in the world of real estate investing On fame, fortune and freedom On prioritization The 3 steps: be, do and have Quote “If I’m going after a big goal, I like to strike while the iron is hot. And that means for me (is) becoming a bulldog. Removing all the excess. All of the things that are not in alinement with hitting that goal.” Relevant LInks Clayton Morris – Website Clayton Morris – Twitter Clayton Morris – YouTube This episode reminds us yet again of the importance of creating financial freedom for yourself and for your family. I hope you will learn as much as I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.This time around on the podcast, I spend time with John Lamerton. John is a self-described “lazy entrepreneur” and investor. He balances running an ambitious lifestyle business with raising two young children. A former “hustler”, he now earns more money “working” 20 to 25 hours a week than he used to pulling all nighters and “grinding” for 100+ hours per week. Most of us have this notion that working hard means working long hours. On this episode, we discussed John’s book which is For Small Businesses: Simple, Practical Tools and Tactics to Help Your Small Business Grow. We also discussed how to work smart by only working 20-25 hours a week and achieving success for your business instead of “hustling” for 100 hours work week. John now mentors his fellow ambitious business owners and teaching them how to design their businesses around his style. Talking Points Introducing John Lamerton’s For Small Businesses: Simple, Practical Tools and Tactics to Help Your Small Business Grow book What is the definition of a small business? On copying Richard Branson Funnelling your business to thrive Light-bulb moment for the business The five magic ingredients for success On high intensity interval training – HIIT How the essay, 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly helped in the business Quote “The final magic ingredient is action and that is the key thing that I see most people are failing to do. A lot of people they are not taking enough action. But on the flip-side, there are many many people who take lots of action but it’s the wrong action and they are going 100 miles per hour in the wrong direction.” Relevant Links Big Ideas… For Small Businesses: Simple, Practical Tools and Tactics to Help Your Small Business Grow John Lamerton – LinkedIn John Lambert – Facebook This episode reminds us yet again the power of working smart instead of working hard. It is quality over quantity. I hope you will learn as much as I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.I haven’t talked to Carl Honoré for some time so it was a real treat when he joined me on this episode of The Productivityist Podcast. Carl is the author of such books as “In Praise of Slow” and “The Slow Fix”, and his TEDx Talk on slowness has been viewed 2.7 million times. His latest book “Bolder: Making the Most of our Longer Lives”, tackles aging and the stigma around it. While most of society either tries to reverse time or fears growing old, Carl and I embrace the concept of aging. On this episode, we discuss how the idea of aging is evolving, why slowing down is good, and why retirement age is the perfect time to work towards creative pursuits and self-improvement in this “Golden Age of Aging”. Talking Points A decades’ worth of catching up with Carl Carl’s hockey game epiphany about aging and the cult of youth Moving away from the life path straitjacket and towards defining one’s life via values and tastes Riding the gray wave: A take on aging, retirement, and focusing on what matters Embracing technology, continuous learning, and busting myths that come with aging Counterintuitive ways of living bolder towards happiness and well-being Watch your words: How language can impact how we live our lives The play on words on the book title Bolder and what it aims to accomplish Quote “What’s happening now culturally is we’re throwing all those pieces up in the air and they’re coming back down again in a way that gives people the freedom, permission, space, and right to define what their life is going to look like at every stage.” Relevant Links Bolder: Making the Most of our Longer Lives | Amazon Steve Dotto | The Productivityist Podcast Carl Honoré This episode offers a refreshing take on aging and serves to make each one of us a little bit more optimistic about what it can bring. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On today’s episode, I spent time again with Marc and Angel Chernoff. Marc and Angel Chernoff are New York Times bestselling authors, professional coaches, full-time students of life, admirers of the human spirit, and have been recognized by Forbes as having “one of the most popular personal development blogs.” Through their blog, books, course and coaching, they’ve spent the past decade writing about and teaching proven strategies for finding lasting happiness, success, love, and peace. Lauren and I talked about introspection, fears, making and keeping promises (and Hugh Jackman!). She practically gave me a coaching session on this episode and this conversation ought to prepare you the next time you have a setback. Talking Points Getting on our own way: An anecdote on taking on too much Overcoming the new human experience filled with what’s wrong and fear The relativity of success Working on spiritual, emotional, and physical integrity Beginning at the end and small things that bring macro results I am doing the right thing: Stop asking and start doing and being Setting up consequences to keep promises and be productive Making your dark side work for the good guys Keeping your promises as a way of challenging fear Quote “When you have a big enough dream and you pick the five most important things for you to accomplish but you believe in the whole, there’s magic that will happen so other things happen while you are doing the five things.” Relevant Links Maybe It’s You: Cut the Crap. Face Your Fears. Love Your Life. | Amazon Laughing Man Coffee InnerU Lauren Zander Website Lauren Zander Facebook Lauren Zander Twitter Lauren Zander Instagram This episode will help you face your fears, get through the setbacks, and set your goals. A lot of what we touched on just scratches the surface and if you want more from Lauren, check out her website and her book. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.Dale Halaway is the guest on this episode of the podcast. He has been influencing the lives and careers of thousands for almost forty years and is a leader in the movement for awakening and change. Dale and I talked about a whole bunch of topics that can really help with our personal development: ego, resistance, change, letting go of things that no longer serve us, and this thing called “transcovery” – to be honest, I wish we had more time to talk! Talking Points Dale’s beginnings, his career fast track, and the opportunities that followed Overcoming his speech impediment and the role of ego in letting go and change The Transcovery Process: Its spontaneous development and his eureka moment Recognizing and handling change when it comes knocking on our door Unconscious Resistance: Its roots and manifestations How our body can reveal our fears and resistance Slowing down to open up the greater version of ourselves and get what we deserve Deep-seated control issues that hinder productivity The benefits of adopting the practice of daily journaling Exclusive freebies and bonus materials for Productivityist listeners Quote “When change comes knocking on your door, the first thing you want to do is that you want to be able to break that down to what does that ultimately mean… There’s going to be a process that could go on for days, weeks, even months, before you complete that process and come out of the other side where not only have you changed something within yourself but others around you will notice the change.” Relevant Links Being Called to Change: Let Go of All That No Longer Serves You and Grow Into Your Full Potential | Amazon Being Called To Change Dale Halaway Dale Halaway on Facebook Dale Halaway on Linkedin @dalehalaway on Instagram This episode largely deals with one question: How can you get comfortable with this ever-accelerating pace of change? Big thanks to Dale for chatting with me and if you want to learn more about him, check out his book Being Called to Change: Let Go of All That No Longer Serves You and Grow Into Your Full Potential. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.I’m excited to be joined by Mary Shores this week, the bestselling author of Conscious Communications: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Harnessing the Power of Your Words to Change Your Mind, Your Choices, and Your Life. Mary is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Through her work, she provides pragmatic solutions for people who are “freaking out”. With an extensive knowledge of neuroscience and human behaviour added to her repertoire, she guides businesses and individuals to defeat the “freak out” and create their ideal life. The topics Mary and I discussed had a ton of significance regarding our choices and perception and how they shape our current situations. Talking Points How Tony Robbins impacted Mary’s work and changed her life Developing communications strategies for debt collection calls Reframing: Changing perspectives after personal tragedy and trauma A serendipitous encounter with Chazz Palminteri back in 1993 for the movie A Bronx Tale The Power of Words: How your words help shape your life and manifest your intentions Mary’s daily practice of gratitude and journaling to harness the power of words Motivation then Action: Writing a one page action plan that becomes the blueprint to integrate the plan into your life Quote “The most beautiful part of your story, even when these terrible things happen, the more empowering part and the more impactful part is in how did you move on. And so when you look at your circumstances in this way that creates you to be a victim, then you make choices that a victim makes… Whereas when you look at yourself as someone who’s overcome something, then you can look at yourself through a perception of empowerment and then you’re making choices that an empowered person makes.” Relevant Links Conscious Communications: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Harnessing the Power of Your Words to Change Your Mind, Your Choices, and Your Life | Amazon Tony Robbins A Bronx Tale Mary Shores Mary Shores on Instagram Mary Shores on Twitter Mary Shores on LinkedIn The Daily Desires Diary Bundle Fearless Ambition – Facebook Community I encourage you to check out everything that we spoke about and to also pick up Mary’s book. This session’s message with Mary is powerful and I’m delighted to have had a very productive conscious communication with you through this podcast. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, Cal Newport joins me to talk about his latest book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. He is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and is a self-professed blogging nerd. He is also the author of six books, focusing on topics related to professional productivity, personal satisfaction and the intersection of technology and society. My guest this time around is Cal Newport. Cal is a friend of mine and I’ve always loved chatting with him. This episode is no exception. We dived into a lot, talking about how I tend to share cool things on Facebook, the concept of “keeping things in boxes”, and being more intentional with birthday notifications – all in the name of what Cal has dubbed “Digital Minimalism.” Talking Points More of less is more: The rise of minimalism in the physical and digital world Gaining meaning back into your life through less digital presence Lifestyle philosophy over lifehacks, tips and tricks Keeping boxes packed and installing only apps you miss Clutter is costly: The negative cost that offsets the ‘benefits’ of clutter Optimization is important: Make digital platforms work for you instead of you working for them Intentionality trumps convenience: Reorienting your life to the things that provide most value Quality analog friendships: Our lives pre-2007 and why Facebook birthday notifications is a giant Ponzi scheme Mindset shifts to make minimalism sustainable Quote “Digital minimalism is a movement. There’s a lot of people out there doing this. These are the people you see who are not looking at their phone when they’re waiting in line, they’re enjoying something outside and not documenting it, they have long conversations with friends where they don’t have a phone with them, they’re the guys building a canoe in their woodshed and haven’t seen their phone in three hours. They have so much more meaning and satisfaction they’re getting out of their lives.” Relevant Links Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World Deep Work with Cal Newport | The Productivityis Podcast Leo Babauta | Zen Habits Joshua Becke | Becoming Minimalist Courtney Carver | Be More with Less Ryan & Joshua | The Minimalists Packing Party: Unpack a Simpler Life Sensible Defaults | Patrick Rhone Facebook Newsfeed Eradicator for Chrome and Mozilla Instapaper Buffer Cal Newport I’m pleased to bring you this insightful conversation between me and Cal. The two of us can just talk for hours and cover so many things; I look forward to having him on again soon. I hope you’ll find this episode packed with tidbits to help you deal with your digital (and life) clutter. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode of The Productivityist Podcast, Joey Cofone, the co-founder and CEO of Baron Fig, joins the show. Baron Fig is a company that started as a Kickstarter project which has evolved into a brand that designs and offers inspiring products to thinkers such as writers, illustrators, and entrepreneurs around the world. I just talked with James Clear on the previous episode, and now Joey Cofone is here! I’ve been wanting to chat with Joey for a while and on this episode, I finally got the chance. I had a great time discussing a range of topics from my well-documented affinity for Baron Fig, their collaboration with James Clear, what it’s like to create physical products, and how he builds a team that’s crafting these products. Talking Points Point, don’t plan: How to set goals, let them go, and keeping impostor syndrome and comparison at bay The Beginnings of Baron Fig: From a notebook idea at a Thai restaurant to selling nearly 10,000 notebooks in 30 days and now taking over my life Creating a design-oriented notebook and building a thinker company Digital vs Analog: What is the best tool for the job and why is a notebook still the best tool for thinking The freedom and restriction that apps tend to bring Rooting for digital tools and integrating new styles in paper products Guided editions including James Clear’s The Clear Habit Journal: the next evolutionary step for people intimidated by the blank page Balancing digital and analog tools in developing ideas simultaneously Why Joey supplanted the Nomad sticky notes with the Strategist note cards Good ideas come from anywhere: Talking to 500 thinkers around the world for feedback Quote “Design is integrated into everything that I do and how I look at the world. And I don’t think it was something that I chose, it’s how I grew up, being very nitpicky and detail-oriented. And in design, it just seem that that is what I should do with this. So, when we started Baron Fig, we’re very much design-oriented.” Relevant Links Baron Fig Horizontal Themes: Maintaining Time, Making Time, and Musing Time Notion App Patrick Rhone’s Sensible Defaults James Clear’s Clear Habit Journal Why You Need Atomic Habits with James Clear How Did This Get Made? Eureka Michael Hyatt Adam Kornfield How I Built This with Guy Raz SCOTTeVEST Nomad Sticky Notes Strategist Dot Grid Index Cards Joey Cofone’s Website @joeycofone on Twitter @joeycofone on Instagram Joey Cofone on Facebook I had a (fittingly) productive discussion with Joey and I trust you’ll enjoy our chat as much as I did. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.This week on the podcast, I speak with James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. James is an expert on habit formation who offers not only theories backed by science, but also practical strategies that will help you achieve powerful, atomic-level results. On this episode, James and I had a really productive discussion on a range of topics from the journey of putting the book together, how alarm clocks fail me (or I fail alarm clocks), turning off the internet router at 10 PM to keeping the beer at the back of the fridge and Crossfit. Talking Points Designing and Defining Atomic Habits: Two main lenses to look the book through The two-minute rule in scaling down a habit and actually making it stick Importance of slowing down and awareness for effective behavioral change Having a variety of small things organized toward the same goal Solutions for setting up efficient timing Strategies for building good seasonal habits Tools to make habits stick and break through biases The three reasons/meanings behind the use of the term “atomic” Creating a journal that makes it easier to build habits that is useful but not fixed Quote “Many of our behaviors are socially reinforced… When the social reinforcement is so strong, we overcome the obstacles in our environment. The key insight there is you want to join a tribe, a group where your desired behavior is the normal behavior. Because if it’s normal in that group, then it’s going to seem attractive to you to do it even if it’s not convenient.” Relevant Links Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich | Amazon The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris | Amazon Baron Fig’s Clear Habit Journal Use Freedom to Block Websites, Apps, & the Internet Facebook Newsfeed Eradicator Distraction-free YouTube (Chrome extension) Trello.com James Clear @jamesclear on Twitter @james_clear on Instagram James Clear on Facebook I learned a lot from reading Atomic Habits and through my conversations with James and I’m sure you will too. And make sure to catch the next episode where I have Joey Cofone as my guest for a back-to-back habit tracking and intentionality goodness. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode, I speak with my good friend and author of Company of One, Paul Jarvis. I’ve known Paul for years and am elated to finally have him appear on the show to talk about staying small and how to build a company of one. My discussion with Paul nearly mimics the kind of thing we do every few weeks when we get together for coffee. I’ve admired how Paul goes about his work and we explore those elements during our conversation. Some of the things we talk about are how ego plays a role in building a business, how the “company of one” that Paul built happened accidentally at first, how you can implement the “company of one” mindset in business that are larger, and how to scale through automation in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you in the process. Relevant Links Company of One by Paul Jarvis | Amazon How talking to Seth Godin on the phone changed my life and business by Jeff Goins | Ladders Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday | Amazon Beyond The E-Myth with Michael Gerber | The Productivityist Podcast The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss | Amazon Do Things You Can Sustain | James Clear I Don’t Actually Care About Growth | Paul Jarvis The Sunday Dispatches | Paul Jarvis I learned a lot through this discussion (and by reading Paul’s book) and I trust that you will as well. If you do get value out of our conversation and enjoy the process along the way. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode of the show, my guest is Steve Glaveski. Steve is an entrepreneur, author, and podcast host whose mission is to unlock the latent potential of organizations and their people so that they can create more impact for humanity and ultimately to lead more fulfilling lives. Our conversation focuses primarily on his book Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Earn Your Freedom and Do Work That Matters, as we explore the ideas and insights he peppered throughout its pages. We spoke about what one needs to have in mind before leaping from employee to entrepreneur, the importance of keeping a level head throughout an entrepreneurial journey (especially when you have a big spike in sales or performance that might not be sustainable), how to deal with the tough questions you need to ask and the answers that may come with those questions, and much more. Relevant Links Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Earn Your Freedom and Do Work That Matters by Steve Glaveski | Amazon The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | Amazon Episode 222: How to Fight a Hydra with Josh Kaufman | The Productivityist Podcast Episode 296: Jason Fried on Why It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work | Future Squared Episode 60: Less Doing with Ari Meisel | The Productivityist Podcast Repurpose.io The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin | Amazon The Odyssey by Homer | Amazon Employee to Entrepreneur I had a great time chatting with Steve this week and I hope you enjoyed our conversation. If so, please let me know by giving the show a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. I’d also love it if you subscribed to the show. You can do that when you visit the podcast website or by doing so on a variety of popular podcast platforms and apps. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.My guest for this episode is Dr. Bryan E. Robinson, author of the book #CHILL: Turn Off Your Job and Turn on Your Life. He is a licensed psychotherapist and Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He currently has a blog on Psychology Today called “The Right Mindset.” He has been interviewed by Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among countless other magazines. During our discussion I asked Bryan about why this was the book that he needed to write now. He also reveals an easy to remember acronym that can help you slow down in a deliberate fashion and what the concept of #CHILL means. Beyond that we talk about the specific structure of the book, how he suggests readers approach the book, why being curious is so important, and more. Relevant Links #CHILL: Turn Off Your Job and Turn on Your Life by Bryan E. Robinson | Amazon Creative Quest by Questlove | Amazon Elizabeth Gilbert | The TED Interview Bryan E. Robinson | Website Dr. Bryan E. Robinson – @brtherapist | Twitter I hope you were about to #chill while listening to this episode and found valuable insights along the way. If you enjoyed this episode and don’t want to miss another, make sure to subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts or visit the podcast page to subscribe on one of several podcast listening mediums. Feedback is always helpful so if you can find time to rate and review the show, I’d appreciate it. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.On this episode of the show, I speak with Joe Ferraro. Joe is the man behind The One Percent Better Project and is a teacher and podcast host who helps to dissect the mindset, language, and behavior of daily improvement across the worlds of business, communication, and education. During our conversation, we talk about the power of working towards getting one percent better, how making one change in your world can lead to so much more change that you’d never expect, where Joe starts with people when trying to help make a change, why embracing change that is unconventional can lead to great success, and much more. Relevant Links The One Percent Better Project One Percent Better: The Podcast TimeCraftingTV VidIQ The NOW Year Calendar | NeuYear & Productivityist (SAVE 20% with promo code FRESHSTART) Green Lantern and Philosophy: No Evil Shall Escape This Book | Amazon Creative Quest by Questlove | Amazon Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom | Amazon The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg | Amazon Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives by Dan Millman | Amazon Episode 222: How to Fight a Hydra | The Productivityist Podcast Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell | Amazon Wine Library TV from Gary Vaynerchuk The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in Five Minutes a Day | Amazon Comedian | Amazon Joe Ferraro | Twitter I had such a great time talking with Joe – so much so that we ran longer than I usually would. If you’re looking to get one percent better then I encourage you to check out Joe’s work and podcast. If you liked this episode, then I also encourage you to share it far and wide and subscribe to the show here. You can also rate and review the show in Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening to The Productivityist Podcast. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.I’m joined this time around by Josh Kaufman, the author of three bestselling books – including his latest effort How to Fight a Hydra: Face Your Fears, Pursue Your Ambitions, and Become the Hero You Are Destined to Be. Josh’s research focuses on business, entrepreneurship, skill acquisition, productivity, creativity, applied psychology, and practical wisdom and he’s someone I’ve wanted to have on the show for a long time. Josh and I carry on a conversation that revolves around the differences between How to Fight a Hydra and his previous books, the power of story (particularly fables and parables), why I never thought of Josh as a productivity expert yet he describes himself as such, and much more. Relevant Links How to Fight a Hydra: Face Your Fears, Pursue Your Ambitions, and Become the Hero You Are Destined to Be | Amazon The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield | Amazon Josh Kaufman’s Website I had a fantastic time chatting with Josh and I hope you enjoyed our conversation as well. If you did, I encourage you to share this episode and subscribe to the show. You can do that right from wherever you’re listening to this episode or by visiting the podcast website. And if you’re open to rating and reviewing the podcast, that’s even better. Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.