Mike Vardy's Blog, page 114

The Appeal of App.net

Noise can get in the way of productivity. Social networks are becoming noisier and noisier, and many of them are less useful as a result. But there’s one out there I’ve been using since it launched that remains a source of more serenity – and more utility as of late.

That social network is App.net.

It’s the newest kid on the block, but it’s newness is one of its most appeaking aspects. It reminds me a lot of early Twittter; you can engage and find things easier. I’m able to have clearer conversations on App.net than most other social networks (I’d say Google+ is the exception to this), and the interface is clean and simple.

The thing about App.net that also appeals to me is that it’s a paid social network. Why does that appeal to me? Because it keeps only those who are interested in using it there (at least for now). But better still, it means the user has a greater degree of control than on a free social network. The App.net team is committed to its users rather than to advertisers; that’s an important distinction since other platforms are leaning towards mediums for marketing rather than for conversation.

I can pop into App.net and have conversations, ask questions, get advice, share things, and not get sucked in nearly as deep. I’m in and I’m out – which is great for my productivity.

The team at App.net have given me 100 invites that will give those who want to give teh service a go a chance to do so. This invite is for the free tier only, and once the number of invites are gone then they are gone (I won’t be tracking it, so if you’re number 101, you’ll know courtesy of App.net and not yours truly). You can grab an invite here.

I hope you’ll join me on App.net. I think you’ll like it.

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Published on May 16, 2013 18:00

Ready for Launch: The Productivityist Workbook

I’ve written a lot about The Productivityist Workbook during the pre-ordering period, and today is the day that it arrives.

For only $5 you get a PDF packed with tips, tactics, and tools you can uses to better your personal productivity. There’s also several exercises within its pages, and I’ve actually included them as separate worksheets when you buy the book to make it easier for you to print them out (thanks to my pal Brett Kelly -- author of the quintessential guide to Evernote, *[Evernote Essentials][1]*, for that feedback).

I’m not going to say anymore here about this e-workbook. Instead, I’ll have this video trailer I had made do the talking.

You can buy The Productivityist Workbook here.

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Published on May 15, 2013 14:28

Doing the Right Things

The past week has been crazy. Very crazy. But a good kind of very crazy – because I’ve been able to manage it better than before.

The biggest part of this past week on my calendar was Social Media Camp. I had a great time at the event because I set myself in such a way to focus on it – and my part in it as a speaker – without having distractions in the way. I took a lot of it in, and stepped aside when there was no capacity for me to absorb anything further (which can happen during the span of a multi-day event). I’ve been to three of the four Social Media Camps so far (with the first year and this year being the most involved), and I found this year’s event to be excellent – with an eneregy and enthusiasm on par with events like New Media Expo. I was happy to have been part of it – and even more happy that I was able to truly be part of it.

The closing keynote of the event struck me more than any other .. and that is likely because I’m spending more and more time working on crafting an amazing life. C.C. Chapman (author of Amazing Things Will Happen) took the stage and owned it – as he does his own life – and his talk was a great way to cap off the event. My biggest takeaway from it is that there are far too many times we spend doing things rather than doing the right things. Things like wondering, wandering, connecting, and embracing. You can do any (or all) of these things on your own or with others, but the key is to do them – and do them well.

The only really big thing I did this past week was attend Social Media Camp. I left everything else open on my schedule. Does that make me more productive than others, as this Fast Company article suggests? Possibly. But I think there’s far more to it than saying “no” to things others send my way. I’d say that I’m constantly asking myself if doing that “thing” is either right or wrong, depending on where I’m at. Asking that question of myself helps shape not just my day, but my week, month, and beyond. It helps stave off overwhelm, which is something that really hurts productivity. When you have a system and structure in place, you can ask those questions and can afford to answer accordingly. You can afford to do the right things because they stand out above all else. The wrong things gradually become right … or they just go away.

I was able to spend my time productively this week because I was doing the right things. Simply doing things isn’t productive because doing isn’t always productive.Wondering why you are doing things leads to better productivity when you take action once that moment of wonder has ceased. Connecting with what’s on your task and project list leads to doing the right things instead of just doing. Embracing your work and your life will lead to better work .. and a better life. Doing these things will all lead to amazing things happening.

And that’s because you’ll be doing the right things.

(Note: The picture accompanying this post is a portion of a sketchnote of my talk, as done by the incredibly talented Deborah LeFrank. You can see entire sketchnote by clicking on the image. She really captured the essence of my talk -- and handed me a business card with the above image on it the very next day. Talk about a quick turnaround! Follow her on Twitter ... she's tremendously talented and deserves a ton of accolades for her work.)

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Published on May 12, 2013 06:00

Introducing The Productivityist Workbook

The Productivityist Workbook is designed to help you learn valuable strategies and explore tools that will allow you to attack your work and life with a more balanced, efficient, and effective approach.

The Productivityist Workbook is ideal for those who are just starting to work on improving their productivity, while presenting ideas that will work for the seasoned productivityist, as well. The Productivityist Workbook is accessible both in content and in price.

The Productivityist Workbook

5.00

Add to Cart

The Story Behind The Productivityist Workbook

Originally packaged as The Ready Retreat Digital Workbooks, I took a good, long look at them in that format. After doing so, I came to a couple of conclusions:

They were too short to be sold individually … and I also felt too valuable to be offered for free.
The Ready Retreat branding was better suited for something bigger, like an actual event that people would attend. The workbooks could still be offered for those who did attend the live event, but on their own the naming convention just didn’t work.
They were priced too high, both as individual workbooks and as a four book package. Yep, I felt that while they did have value, the price of $39.99 for the complete package of workbooks was too much to ask.

After coming to these realizations, I took action.

First, I contacted anyone who bought the series of workbooks at their old price and offered them some form of compensation for placing their trust in my product at such an early phase. After all, I didn’t want any hard feelings or buyer’s remorse impacting my long-term relationship with them.

Secondly, I decided to stop selling the workbooks individually. The workbook would also be renamed The Productivityist Workbook—a 36 page digital workbook that covers all four elements mentioned above.

Thirdly, I decided to price the workbook at only $5.

Finally, I’m also now offering a 30-day money back guarantee, no questions asked. If you don’t feel like you’ve gotten your money’s worth, then simply get in touch with me and I’ll refund your money.

By pre-ordering The Productivityist Workbook before its May 15th release date, you’ll receive 2 free bonuses: a copy of my e-book (PRE)Productivityist, which features a collection of my best posts from my personal blog prior to its evolution into Productivityst, and ProductiVardy: Interviews with Personal Productivity Specialists an audio program consisting of all of my interviews that I conducted on the ProductiVardy podcast -- as well as a few other tips, tricks, and tactics shared during various episodes. The guests you'll hear on this audio series include:

Chris Guillebeau (Author of The $100 Startup)
Leo Baubata (Zen Habits)
Cal Newport (Author of So Good They Can't Ignore You)
David Allen and Mike Williams (The David Allen Company)
Todd Henry (Accidental Creative)

…and 9 more! So for the price of a decent latté (and that’s before taking the bonuses into account), you’ll get something that can help you level up your productivity across several areas of your work and your life.

The Productivityist Workbook is divided into four sections that each devote time to a specific area that can impact your productivity:

Idea Management

The problem with ideas is not whether or not they are good; it’s how we can take those ideas that have the potential to be good and make them great. The process of seeing an idea through from start to finish is hard, and knowing when to pursue an idea and when to let it go is even more challenging.

In this section, I will provide you with tips, tools, and strategies that will help you do just that.

Time Management

Every one of us on this planet has the exact same amount of time in the day to deal with—it’s how we choose to deal with it that separates us. One of the biggest barriers when it comes to productivity is the notion that we simply don’t have enough time. With all that comes our way nowadays, there’s good reason that this notion exists and is held by many.

In this section, I will offer you a better understanding of how time plays a role in your productivity and how you can really take advantage of every moment.

Email Management

The technology of email is wonderful in that we can actually communicate with each other from opposite ends of the globe or from right next door with just a few keystrokes and a “whoosh” from our computer’s speakers, but it has come at a cost and is getting out of control.

In this section, I will share the tips, tricks, and tactics you can use to treat email in a way that allows you to be productive both inside your email application and beyond it.

Task Management

Task management is one of the hardest things to get a handle on because many of us don’t know the difference between a task and a project, goal, or something similar. Further to that, we often use the wrong tools—and mindset, for that matter—when dealing with tasks.

In this section, I will help you not only clearly identify what a task is, but to identify how to manage all the tasks you deal with today and going forward. I’ll offer tools and mindset suggestions to employ to help you figure out what tasks you need to do, what tasks you need to delegate, and what tasks you need to delete.

The Productivityist Workbook is a great starting point for those new to the world of personal productivity and who want to spend more time being productive rather than simply doing productive. So if you're looking to up your game without breaking the bank, pick up The Productivityist Workbook and start boosting your productivity today!

The Productivityist Workbook

5.00

Add to Cart

Note: I'm using Squarespace Commerce for my sales, but understand the need to make this shift slowly. So if you want to use PayPal to buy The Productivityist Workbook, click here.

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Published on May 06, 2013 06:00

Going Forward

Yesterday I found some great stuff on the Internet. It was stuff I needed to find, especially with where my mind has been as of late.

The first was a manifesto by Jesse Thorn on how one can "make their thing". The second was a podcast episode of CMND+ Space where Myke Hurley had a conversation with Merlin Mann. The third was a piece by Paul Miller over at The Verge discussing his findings after being off the Internet for an entire year.

All of these things got me thinking. Thinking hard, in fact.

Jesse's manifesto resonated with me in that there are times when I'm not making the best stuff I can be, mainly because I feel I could be putting more effort into things than I have been. Sure, I do a lot. But sometimes that stuff hasn't been as good as I wanted it to be. I know that people have a tendency to be more critical of themselves because they are looking at their work through their own lens -- myself included. But if I hope to go forward with my work then I need to make my things better -- because I want them to have a lasting impact. I want them to be memorable for the right reasons. I want them to stand because of how great they are. I want them to be better because I know they can be better.

That will mean doing less things so that I can do my things better. That will mean less posts here, but they will be better. That will mean less social network interactions, but they will be better. Whatever I make, I will make better because they will be -- no matter who seem to be for on the surface -- my things, and I'll settle for nothing less than better going forward.

The episode of CMND+ Space had me thinking about why I got into productivity in the first place. It had me looking back to my creative roots, back to my comedy. That s why I was trying to be more productive. During my days at Costco, I was trying to find time for that stuff and still keep my head above water at the day job. Once I started to write about productivity, I pushed the comedy stuff aside. I'm not saying I don't enjoy being a productivityist, but there has to be more than that for my work to really have deeper roots. So I'm going to get back into that stuff again -- albeit slowly -- and keep the day job going strong because unlike my old day job I really love this one. I'll take what I've learned through my exploration of productivity and apply it as initially intended – to my comedic work -- and I'll also get back on stage from time to time and start writing fiction again in some form or another. Regardless, I need to get back to that stuff in some shape or form...because that's been the missing piece.

Finally, the Paul Miller piece tied both of those ideas together. For all of what was in the post (which is a must-read), it ultimately was all about connection. I think I've finally connected the dots with my work. I got lost for a while during my explorations, and the scenery was beautiful so I didn't really mind all that much. But I've found it more difficult to describe the scenery in a way that makes it sound as beautiful as it is. Maybe that's because it isn't as appealing as it once was, but I think it's more because I forgot why I was exploring in the first place. I wanted to better connect with who I am and what I really wanted out of life. Exploring the realm of personal productivity gave me a place to discover how to make that happen, and it finally brought me back to the why I wanted it to happen. Make no mistake, I'm passionate about productivity. I love to look at better ways to do and -- more importantly -- be better. I am a productivityst, but I'm not just a productivityist. I'm a father. I'm a husband. I'm a performer. I'm a comedian. I'm a creative. Exploring the world of productivity has helped me tap into so much more than just how to do stuff. It has helped me tap into what I need to do to make the things I want to happen a reality. It's helped me deal with adversity. It's helped me shift easier than I was able to in the past. It's helped me in terms of awareness, mindfulness, and preparedness. It's helped me connect with so much and so many, and it will continue to do so.

Going forward, I'm going to better aligned with all of who I am. It has been (and will always be) family first and work second -- but now that work will consist of what I've been doing as a productivityist and a fostering of my other creative endeavours. All of those aspects will be better because of a pledge to accept nothing less than that, a return to my roots with better equipment in tow, and a deeper connection to every facet of who I am and what is important to me.

Photo credit: Road by Sardinelly via stock.xchng

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Published on May 02, 2013 19:00

Workflowing: A New Way I'll Work

Yesterday Michael Schechter and I launched our new joint venture: Workflowing.

Like Schechter, I’ve been split across too many online realms for too long. So I’m not only consolidating my projects into less portals, I’m also going to be better clarifying what will go up here and what will go up at Workflowing. Managing multiple social media profiles has become onerous as well – even with tools like HootSuite. By streamlining things into one profile, I won’t be splitting my focus (and Schechter’s) – and I won’t be giving those that follow our respective work too many places to go either.

Why Workflowing? You’ll find the answer to that in our initial post at the site.

But the bigger question many of you will have is: What exactly is Workflowing?

Schechter, who originated the idea, explained it best:

“Workflowing is a collaboration between Michael Schechter, Mike Vardy and others. It looks to highlight work that can help you to do more. For many - especially those who need it most - the ideas of productivity and workflow have lost their meaning. We look to do better.”

The “others” that are mentioned include writers we respect and admire who will regularly contribute to Workflowing, initially through the Workflowing Weekly newsletter and (ideally) on the site once we really get up and running this summer.

We’re going to evolve Workflowing in front of your eyes – much in the same way that Patrick Rhone has evolved his new Minimal Guides project – so it won’t always be clean and crisp. I think the best way to describe this process is that we’ll be building a better mess (an obvious nod to Schechter’s site) into something even better over time. We’ll want feedback as we do this, because this site aims to help all of us do better – even (or especially) us.

As for the things you’ll find at Workflowing…they are outlined on our first post at the site, which you’ll find here. At first, we’ll be delivering weekly newsletters – founded in the spirit of the recently halted Read & Trust offerings – and you can subscribe to those at the top of the Workflowing home page.

This means some changes to our Mike Techniques project – as in, we are going to roll it into Workflowing. The free members-only podcast will remain under the Workflowing banner (with a name change), and the newsletter will morph into the Workflowing Weekly newsletter. The more personal aspects that we’ve been posting on the original newsletter will make their way to our personal sites as more of the more straightforward productivity posts start to live on Workflowing.

But what does all of this mean for this blog?

Not much…for now. I’ll be shifting some of what I’d put here over to Workflowing once the site develops beyond the initial weekly newsletters. But as of now you’ll see a new look here at the site as I moved from WordPress to Squarespace. I’ve been using Squarespace for MikeVardy.com for a while now, and with the addition of e-commerce options to the platform I decided to pull the trigger. I’ve had a lot of fun preparing the new site – which is only a slight redesign in my mind – and I'd love to hear what you think of the new look (including the removal of the ".com" from "Productivityist") in the comments.

Which brings me to the last part of the new way I’ll work.

I’ve decided to roll MikeVardy.com into this site as well. This site will be my online home going forward, and I’ll be able to better maintain all aspects of my controllable web portals right from here. (I’ll also be saving a bit of money every month – which is an attractive byproduct of this move.)

I’m really excited about these changes. I’m really excited about Workflowing. I’m streamlining all of my online work and creating a better overall focus, which is important for me to…well…do better.

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Published on April 30, 2013 17:00

The Productive Weekend

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The weekend is upon us.

Tonight I’ll conduct my Weekly Review (as per David Allen’s Getting Things done methodology and doing so within OmniFocus). Then I’ll relax, knowing that I’ve set myself up for the week to come.

Tomorrow I’ll spend some time in Evernote, updating my beer cellar entries and compiling photos of the items my wife and I plan to offload during upcoming online sales and an “offline” yard sale. (conducting a yard sale with Evernote at the ready is going to be huge for us. And while it didn’t come directly from the pages of Brett Kelly’s Evernote Essentials, using Evernote for it was certainly inspired by his great book.)

Then we’ll start planting food in our urban garden. Again, we’re using Evernote (and I’m also using OmniFocus) to keep tabs on that as well.

(I’ll be writing some posts on how I use both apps for these “non-technology related” projects in the next couple of weeks here, so stay tuned.)

Then we’ll do more of this relaxation stuff that neither of us get enough of these days.

Sunday marks the beginning of a new week, and I’ll dive back into the writing. But not before some quality family time in the early part of the day. I’ve been able to do more of that lately, mainly due to an adjustment in my own work schedule…but also due to the fact that spending time with my entire family is just as important as the time I spend on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at home with just my son.

I’ll also spend some time reading this weekend, which is something else I’ve been able to do a lot more as of late.

Indeed, it’s the weekend. Time for a different kind of productivity. A productivity that is no less important than the kind I deliver during the week. In fact, I’d say that doing the right things during the week sets you up do just the same on the weekend…which makes the weekend all the more enjoyable.

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Published on April 26, 2013 19:31

The Productive Weekend