Mike Vardy's Blog, page 45

Episode 274: Humor That Works with Andrew Tarvin

On this episode of The Productivityist Podcast, I’m joined by Andrew (Drew) Tarvin. Drew is the world’s first Humor Engineer teaching people how to get better results while having more fun. He has worked with 35,000+ people at 250+ organizations, including Microsoft, the FBI, and the International Association of Canine Professionals. He is a best-selling author, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and FastCompany, and his TEDx talk has been viewed over 4 million times.

This episode is sponsored by  Clean Email . If you’ve ever missed an important email because of your overloaded Inbox or spent far too much time wading through forests of unread emails, tons of newsletters, and follow-ups to find The One email you’ve been looking for then you’re going to want to check out Clean Email. Clean Email organizes all of your emails into smart views like social notifications, newsletters, unread emails, top senders, and more. With Clean Email you can quickly take care of those thousands of emails in your mailbox, marking them as read, archiving them, labeling and moving them around by hundreds or thousands at once. And Clean Email was designed with your privacy and security of your data in mind – since they are in the business of providing a great service in exchange for a fair fee they guarantee to not sell or analyze your data. Give Clean Email a try. Visit  https://clean.email/timecrafting  and get 50% off the 5 accounts annual package!

This episode is also brought to you by  TextExpander . With TextExpander, you can unlock your productivity with its many features. With TextExpander you can make everything you write repetitively available everywhere you type: text documents, spreadsheets, web forms, and more. Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Visit  TextExpander.com/podcast  for 20% off your first year.

This episode is also brought to you by  Woven Calendar . Woven Calendar features powerful scheduling tools built into a smart, collaborative calendar. I absolutely love Woven. It’s allowed me to streamline my appointment bookings on so many levels and is an absolute pleasure to use. The templates are a huge timesaver, the scheduling links are phenomenal, and the ability to quickly toggle between what is “My Time” and everything else on my calendar gives me a quick snapshot of my day like no other calendar app does. Listeners of thus podcast are getting an exclusive offer to put Woven through the paces for themselves. Sign up for free today at  woven.com/timecrafting  and add Woven to your productivity stack and schedule faster than ever before!

Drew and I talk about his book Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work. We discuss the ways you. can infuse humour into the workplace, why it’s important to bring hummer into the workplace, how you can overcome those who think adding humour to the mix is a waste of time, and more. As someone who has been immersed in humour in my previous life I was happy to have Drew on the program to talk have a comedic conversation that can take productivity to greater heights.

Talking Points



Drew shares why introducing humor is important at work and why fostering it is as well (2:36)Is Drew’s primary interest performing comedy or is it something else?(4:45)This is how Drew got started with improv (5:47)What is the goal of using humour in the workplace? (8:52)This is the definition of “humour that works” (10:12)How to deal with a “Beatrice” at work as opposed to a “Bill” at work (11:28)What is a “humour map”? (11:50)How can humour be used to diffuse conflict in the workplace? (20:27)What can leaders learn from stand-up comics? (22:41)These are Drew’s thoughts on authenticity in the workplace (24:55)This is one of the most important attribute you need in the workplace (26:23)What would Drew say to the person that thinks adding humour to the mix is a waste of time (27:35)31% of people leave their workplace because of this (29:01)Drew and I spend time talking about commitment (30:22)Why was it important for Drew to contract the book the way he did? (32:56)Drew talks about the “conversations” that he had with his editor throughout the book (35:17)

“Many of you are likeable people… at home.“

– Drew Tarvin

Helpful Links



Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at WorkBill Burr| Paper TigerHumorThatWorks.com@DrewTarvin on Twitter@DrewTarvin on InstagramThe Productivityist Podcast Pick of The Week: How Did This Get Made?

I’ve always believed that infusing humor in the workplace – and in life overall – is healthy and important. Being able to speak to someone who feels the same way and has taken the time to write an entire book on the subject was a real treat. I hope you enjoyed our conversation as much as I did (and, better still, I hope you had a few laughs along the way).

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 274: Humor That Works with Andrew Tarvin appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 273: How to Win the Day with Kris Ward

On this episode I speak with Kris Ward. Kris is the director of a marketing and branding company and it was through her work there that she learned a great deal about productivity versus being busy. Her work with other small business professionals lead to the creation of Win The Hour Win The Day.

This episode is brought to you by the  University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education . Established in 1962, UCI offers education for adult learners in Orange County. But thanks to technology, their courses and certification programs in various fields are now available worldwide and online for just about anyone who’s interested. You can get 15% off of one (1) course by visiting  http://ce.uci.edu/productivityist  then enter the promo code  timecrafting . Make sure you take advantage of this limited time offer as it is only valid until December 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm.

This episode is also brought to you by my new online course,  30 Days of TimeCrafting . In this program you’ll learn all of the basics of the productivity methods I use in my TimeCrafting process that help me define my day, filter my focus, and make every moment matter… for just $5. To learn more about this program, visit  productivityist.com/fivedollars .

This episode is also brought to you by my newly-revitalized YouTube channel, otherwise known as  TimeCraftingTV . If you like this podcast but want to hear more tactics, tips, and tricks from yours truly then I encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel to catch new videos every single week. From how-to videos to creative short films to learning apps and tools through two week experimentations, I’m delivering the goods on video more than ever before.  So check out my YouTube channel today!

Kris Ward helps entrepreneurs grow their business so they can get more work done faster and focus on what’s really important in life – and we touch on that throughout our conversation. We discuss the aspects of what she calls the “Freedom Formula” and a slew of other productivity-related topics. There’s a lot to absorb in this episode and I’m glad that us two Canadians finally had a chance to connect in podcast form.

Talking Points



What does productivity mean to Kris? (2:10)Kris has had several moments that have incited change in Kris’s life. Here’s one of them. (3:10)Here’s another one of those moments – a very different moment at that. (4:46)Why winning the hour is vital to winning the day (7:33)We dive deeper into the idea of the calendar being your “time bank account” (10:10)This is how Kris likes to work (10:59)The biases that rear their ugly heads when we try to take on some of what Kris speaks of show up. Here’s how Kris helps people deal with that. (13:41)Kris starts to break down the “Freedom Formula” in greater detail (22:36)Kris understands the resistance towards building systems (27:07)
We start talking about tools (31:55)Is Kris more of a morning person or a night owl? And how can she help people listen to their body clocks with her work? (35:00)Kris believes this is something that we don’t talk about enough that affects our productivity (37:00)This is one thing that you can do now to start winning the hour and – as a result – win the day (38:17)

“A business is not run on memory.”

– Kris Ward

Helpful Links



Win The Hour Win The Day!The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things RightKris Ward on InstagramKris Ward on LinkedInWinTheHourWinTheDay.comThe Productivityist Podcast Pick of The Week: SW945: A Walk in Japan

It’s always a pleasure to speak with fellow time management experts. I’ve been following Kris on Instagram for a while now and there’s a lot of crossover in our work. I trust that you’ve heard that through our conversation on this episode. I think we brought a lot to the table and hope that you’ve garnered some solid takeaways from our discussion.

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 273: How to Win the Day with Kris Ward appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 272: Crowdsourcing Paris with J.H. Bunting

On this episode of the program I speak with J.H. Bunting about the life of a writer and the making of his ambitious new book, Crowdsourcing Paris: Memoirs of a Travel Adventure. J.H. Bunting (or “Joe” as I know him) is a bestselling writer, novelist, and a dad. He leads The Write Practice community, an award-winning community of creative writers. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Talia and three kids and enjoys coffee and corpse reviver no. 2s.

This episode is sponsored by  HoneyBook . HoneyBook is an online business management tool that organizes your client communications, bookings, contracts, and invoices – all in one place. HoneyBook makes it simple to run your business better. Professional templates, e-signatures and built in automation keeps everything on track and makes you look good. right now, HoneyBook is offering listeners of this podcast 50% off when you visit  http://honeybook.com/timecrafting . Payment is flexible, and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually.

This episode is brought to you by  Woven Calendar . Woven Calendar features powerful scheduling tools built into a smart, collaborative calendar. I absolutely love Woven. It’s allowed me to streamline my appointment bookings on so many levels and is an absolute pleasure to use. The templates are a huge timesaver, the scheduling links are phenomenal, and the ability to quickly toggle between what is “My Time” and everything else on my calendar gives me a quick snapshot of my day like no other calendar app does. Listeners of thus podcast are getting an exclusive offer to put Woven through the paces for themselves. Sign up for free today at  woven.com/timecrafting  and add Woven to your productivity stack and schedule faster than ever before!

Joe and I talk about the evolution of his book, the challenge of doing something different or outside of the usual path, how panic and desperation can fuel productivity, and much more. I had a great time learning about Joe’s process when building this book and I am happy to be able share our conversation with you.

Talking Points



Who is J.H. (Joe) Bunting? (2:14)This is how he got his start (3:10)What Joe discovered about the book while in Paris (5:48)How important was it for Joe to take on this book – something that was different than what he’d done before (8:30)Mark Twain played a role in the crafting of Joe’s book (10:45)We talk about the power of patience (16:34)Did every suggested challenge that Joe was asked to do while in Paris make the cut? (22:06)I circle back to the idea of panic and desperation and how it can spur on productivity (26:37)Does Joe believe in willpower? (30:03)Joe explains how beneficial it was for his productivity while away from his usual environment (32:32)Joe offers advice regarding traveling with a young family (35:58)

“The important thing is that you’re doing the work and putting it out into the world.”

– J.H. Bunting

Helpful Links



Crowdsourcing Paris: Memoirs of a Travel AdventureWorld Domination SummitThe Write PracticeRyan McRae’s Burn The Tavern DownThe Innocents Abroad by Mark TwainEpisode 201: Willpower Doesn’t Work with Benjamin HardyEpisode 266: Becoming Indistractable with Nir EyalJoe’s FREE Workation Adventure WorksheetDaddy-Daughter Day: A Workday Vlog on TimeCraftingTVThe Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week: The Good Place (The Podcast)

Writing a book is hard. Writing a book that falls outside of the scope of what you initially intended to write can be even harder. Joe took that on with passion and pride and the results show it. If you haven’t already picked up Joe’s book, do so now. It’s a fantastic read.

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 272: Crowdsourcing Paris with J.H. Bunting appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 271: The Seven Longest Yards with Chris Norton

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.

This episode is sponsored by  MeetEdgar . I’ve been using MeetEdgar to help me pay greater attention to what I share on social media, when I share it, and how I share it. One element of my work that is going to be impacted by using MeetEdgar is that I can give greater attention to areas of my work outside of social media – like the book I’m working on – because MeetEdgar will take care of my social media needs. If you want to give MeetEdgar a try, visit  meetedgar.com/timecrafting  and use the code  timecrafting  to receive an extended 60-day free trial!

This episode is brought to you by the  University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education . Established in 1962, UCI offers education for adult learners in Orange County. But thanks to technology, their courses and certification programs in various fields are now available worldwide and online for just about anyone who’s interested. You can get 15% off of one (1) course by visiting  http://ce.uci.edu/productivityist  then enter the promo code  timecrafting . Make sure you take advantage of this limited time offer as it is only valid until December 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm.

This episode is brought to you by  Woven Calendar . Woven Calendar features powerful scheduling tools built into a smart, collaborative calendar. I absolutely love Woven. It’s allowed me to streamline my appointment bookings on so many levels and is an absolute pleasure to use. The templates are a huge timesaver, the scheduling links are phenomenal, and the ability to quickly toggle between what is “My Time” and everything else on my calendar gives me a quick snapshot of my day like no other calendar app does. Listeners of thus podcast are getting an exclusive offer to put Woven through the paces for themselves. Sign up for free today at  woven.com/timecrafting  and add Woven to your productivity stack and schedule faster than ever before!

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 (3:00)What did it take for Chris to show resilience in the face of tragedy? (5:46)This is the one thing that helps Chris stay so positive (8:43)Chris tells the story of the first time he tried to take steps since the accident (10:24)What primary lesson does Chris take from his football days that he applies to this day? (22:01)You need to learn how to do this – something that athletes know all too well (25:17)We talk about fatherhood and parenting – something Chris is incredibly passionate about (27:54)Chris shares why it was key for Emily and him to write this book together (29:35)What does productivity mean to Chris? (32:03)Chris has a challenge for you (33:04)We close out the show talking about the idea of regret… and how Chris fights back against the power of regret (34:36)Chris predicts the winner of Super Bowl LIV (37:06)

“Who needs you to keep going so that they can keep going?“

– Chris Norton

Helpful Links



The Seven Longest YardsEpisode 245: What Happy Successful People Do Differently with Marc and Angel ChernoffChris on The Good Life Project with Jonathan FieldsEpisode 269: You Are Awesome with Neil PasrichaEpisode 241: What Sports Can Teach Us About Greatness with Don YaegerThe Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You WantChrisNorton.orgChris on InstagramThe 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.

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 271: The Seven Longest Yards with Chris Norton appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 271: THe Seven Longest Yards with Chris Norton

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.

This episode is sponsored by  MeetEdgar . I’ve been using MeetEdgar to help me pay greater attention to what I share on social media, when I share it, and how I share it. One element of my work that is going to be impacted by using MeetEdgar is that I can give greater attention to areas of my work outside of social media – like the book I’m working on – because MeetEdgar will take care of my social media needs. If you want to give MeetEdgar a try, visit  meetedgar.com/timecrafting  and use the code  timecrafting  to receive an extended 60-day free trial!

This episode is brought to you by the  University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education . Established in 1962, UCI offers education for adult learners in Orange County. But thanks to technology, their courses and certification programs in various fields are now available worldwide and online for just about anyone who’s interested. You can get 15% off of one (1) course by visiting  http://ce.uci.edu/productivityist  then enter the promo code  timecrafting . Make sure you take advantage of this limited time offer as it is only valid until December 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm.

This episode is brought to you by  Woven Calendar . Woven Calendar features powerful scheduling tools built into a smart, collaborative calendar. I absolutely love Woven. It’s allowed me to streamline my appointment bookings on so many levels and is an absolute pleasure to use. The templates are a huge timesaver, the scheduling links are phenomenal, and the ability to quickly toggle between what is “My Time” and everything else on my calendar gives me a quick snapshot of my day like no other calendar app does. Listeners of thus podcast are getting an exclusive offer to put Woven through the paces for themselves. Sign up for free today at  woven.com/timecrafting  and add Woven to your productivity stack and schedule faster than ever before!

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 (3:00)What did it take for Chris to show resilience in the face of tragedy? (5:46)This is the one thing that helps Chris stay so positive (8:43)Chris tells the story of the first time he tried to take steps since the accident (10:24)What primary lesson does Chris take from his football days that he applies to this day? (22:01)You need to learn how to do this – something that athletes know all too well (25:17)We talk about fatherhood and parenting – something Chris is incredibly passionate about (27:54)Chris shares why it was key for Emily and him to write this book together (29:35)What does productivity mean to Chris? (32:03)Chris has a challenge for you (33:04)We close out the show talking about the idea of regret… and how Chris fights back against the power of regret (34:36)Chris predicts the winner of Super Bowl LIV (37:06)

“Who needs you to keep going so that they can keep going?“

– Chris Norton

Helpful Links



The Seven Longest YardsEpisode 245: What Happy Successful People Do Differently with Marc and Angel ChernoffChris on The Good Life Project with Jonathan FieldsEpisode 269: You Are Awesome with Neil PasrichaEpisode 241: What Sports Can Teach Us About Greatness with Don YaegerThe Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You WantChrisNorton.orgChris on InstagramThe 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.

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 271: THe Seven Longest Yards with Chris Norton appeared first on Productivityist.

Braving Burnout: How to Go on When it Feels Like There’s Nowhere to Go

Photo by Marcel Hol from FreeImages

The following post is a guest contribution from Stewart Dunlop . I haven’t taken guest posts in a while but the topic of burnout has come up a lot lately and when Stewart asked if he could write something about for my blog, I jumped at the chance. Stewart is a content guy at  Foundr  with a passion for writing articles that you will want to read. In his free time, he likes to play football, and read Stephen King.

We live in a society that values hard work and superhuman performances over health and balance. Most companies love an employee who works hard and is dedicated to giving it all. At the same time, many people are taught that being a workaholic is a good thing.

Furthermore, the amount of work and stress increases if you’re an entrepreneur. After all, you are working on your business, so you must give 120%!

Don’t get me wrong. It is natural to want to be appreciated at your job (which usually comes with better pay) or your business to succeed. However, when you neglect your health and don’t have a solid work-life balance, you risk reaching the point of burnout.

What is Burnout?

It’s difficult to define it, and it’s lately become a bit of a buzzword, but burnout does happen. There are the extreme cases, where people literally work themselves to death, and the mild cases (so-to-speak) accompanied by depression, fatigue, illnesses, and more.

Burnout is now included in the International Classification of Diseases released by the World Health Organization, as a medical condition. WHO characterizes this state as a specifically work-related condition with symptoms such as:

You feel exhausted or depletedA negative view towards the work you’re doing (even though you used to like it)Reduced work productivity



Are You on The Verge of Burnout?

Sadly, it’s difficult to know when you’re on the verge because everyone has tough days or weeks at work. So how do you recognize when you’re on the verge of a burnout?

First, if your loved ones tell you there’s a problem, you should listen. But the words of a worried spouse or friend are easy to dismiss and ignore when we don’t want to take a closer look in the mirror. So, here are some of the most common signs to be on the lookout for:

Exhaustion & Lack of Motivation

Exhaustion can be physical, mental, or emotional (or a combination of these), but to be a burnout, it needs to happen for an extended time. If you can’t remember the last time you felt rested, you should take a closer look at your habits.

Exhaustion is usually accompanied by a lack of motivation, where you don’t find joy in anything you do. While motivation is difficult to understand and muster at times (according to Foundr Magazine), if you are constantly negative towards your job or projects, this can be a sign of burnout.

Low Productivity

A clear sign of burnout is a lack of quality in the work you deliver. This is especially worrisome if you used to be one of the best at your company and now, you’re struggling with deadlines for basic tasks. The vibe other get from you is that you’ve stopped caring about anything and you’re just trying to get by with the bare minimum.

So, if you start receiving criticism about the quality of your work, your appearance, and other aspects that used to matter to you, stop and analyze your situation.

Health Problems

People who are close to burning out are under a lot of stress, which usually translates into low quality of sleep, insomnia, stomach pain, low appetite, headache, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and more.

There are also mental imbalances, but the most staggering one is depression.

Of course, there could be other reasons why you have these symptoms, but if you do have them, you need to visit your doctor. They will be able to tell you more about your current state of well-being.

How to Get Back on the Horse

A state of burnout makes you feel like there’s nowhere to go from that point moving forward. You’re so tired and sick of everything that you just want to stop and/or give up.

However, while taking a break is a good idea, it’s not the best way to deal with your situation. According to specialists who studied this problem, here are steps you need to implement:

Understand the Nature of your Burnout

There are two types of burnout: the clinical type and the environmental type. The latter manifests as a feeling of being stuck at a job you don’t like or in a life situation that doesn’t fit you anymore.

The good news is that, if your burnout is environmental, it can be solved by removing yourself from the environment. This means getting a new job or finding a new path in your professional life. If the burnout comes from a personal situation, find ways to change it.

Find Progress & Purpose

Burnout doesn’t happen just to those who hate their job or feel stuck in a situation. It can happen even if you are truly passionate about your work and life.

For instance, you’ve started an online business and, despite putting in long hours and a lot of dedication, you don’t see any progress. The level of stress is high, and it’s difficult to remember why you started in the first place.

Times like these are tough, and it can be incredibly difficult to move on, but it helps to try to find your purpose and motivation and work towards some progress. For this, you need to change your attitude and recognize negative thought patterns.

Start by setting small goals and work to increase them as your energy levels change. Also, learn to stop negative thoughts and stay far away from perfectionism. There is research that found a strong link between perfectionism and burnout.

Lighten your Workload

It’s difficult to refuse customers and/or projects, especially those who promise a big payday. However, mental and physical fatigue represents a direct path to burnout and other health-related problems.

So, before you accept a new project, analyze the current schedule, and see if you’ve created enough time to spend with yourself, the family, or friends. Check for some productivity applications or project management software that might help you organize your time in an efficient way. The work-life balance matters and the brain needs to unplug and refocus each day.

So, don’t bury yourself in deadlines and milestones. Respect personal time and learn to recognize when you are tired and need some time off.

It’s important to keep in mind that burnout doesn’t just go away with time. If it’s left unchecked, it can lead to bigger problems, and it can affect your life in a more permanent manner. So, learn to recognize the signs, listen to your loved ones, and take steps to improve your lifestyle.

The post Braving Burnout: How to Go on When it Feels Like There’s Nowhere to Go appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 270: The Daily Decision with Brian Dixon

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.

This episode is brought to you by  TextExpander . With TextExpander, you can unlock your productivity with its many features. With TextExpander you can make everything you write repetitively available everywhere you type: text documents, spreadsheets, web forms, and more. Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Visit  TextExpander.com/podcast  for 20% off your first year.

This episode is sponsored by  MeetEdgar . I’ve been using MeetEdgar to help me pay greater attention to what I share on social media, when I share it, and how I share it. One element of my work that is going to be impacted by using MeetEdgar is that I can give greater attention to areas of my work outside of social media – like the book I’m working on – because MeetEdgar will take care of my social media needs. If you want to give MeetEdgar a try, visit  meetedgar.com/timecrafting  and use the code  timecrafting  to receive an extended 60-day free trial!

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 an start with people first.

Talking Points



Brian speaks about the idea of “deciding” and the concept of the daily decision (2:22)The nuanced approach to creating harmony between the needs of your people and your own needs (5:23)This is The One Hour Exchange… and how you make it happen in a way that works for you (7:24)What steps should someone take if they want to start off on the right foot when “starting with their people” (10:24)Brian loves personality tests. Here are the four he likes the best. (23:31)Brian challenges you to pick one day to do this (33:26)What does it mean to adopt a mentality of abundance? (38:40I learned this about Mr. Rogers (41:43)What can you do to start starting with people today? (42:52)

“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.'”

– Brian Dixon

Helpful Links



Start with Your People: The Daily Decision that Changes EverythingEpisode 203: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David AllenThe Clarity SessionsThe Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-DiscoveryThe Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types5 AM Miracle: The Daily Decision that Changes Everything with Brian DixonEpisode 265: Bringing Gratitude with Karl StaibBrian’s WebsiteThe 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.

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 270: The Daily Decision with Brian Dixon appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 269: You Are Awesome with Neil Pasricha

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.

This episode is brought to you by  Woven Calendar . Woven Calendar features powerful scheduling tools built into a smart, collaborative calendar. I absolutely love Woven. It’s allowed me to streamline my appointment bookings on so many levels and is an absolute pleasure to use. The templates are a huge timesaver, the scheduling links are phenomenal, and the ability to quickly toggle between what is “My Time” and everything else on my calendar gives me a quick snapshot of my day like no other calendar app does. Listeners of thus podcast are getting an exclusive offer to put Woven through the paces for themselves. Sign up for free today at  woven.com/timecrafting  and add Woven to your productivity stack and schedule faster than ever before!

This episode is also sponsored by  Clean Email . If you’ve ever missed an important email because of your overloaded Inbox or spent far too much time wading through forests of unread emails, tons of newsletters, and follow-ups to find The One email you’ve been looking for then you’re going to want to check out Clean Email. Clean Email organizes all of your emails into smart views like social notifications, newsletters, unread emails, top senders, and more. With Clean Email you can quickly take care of those thousands of emails in your mailbox, marking them as read, archiving them, labeling and moving them around by hundreds or thousands at once. And Clean Email was designed with your privacy and security of your data in mind – since they are in the business of providing a great service in exchange for a fair fee they guarantee to not sell or analyze your data. Give Clean Email a try. Visit  https://clean.email/timecrafting  and get 50% off the 5 accounts annual package!

This episode is brought to you by the  University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education . Established in 1962, UCI offers education for adult learners in Orange County. But thanks to technology, their courses and certification programs in various fields are now available worldwide and online for just about anyone who’s interested. You can get 15% off of one (1) course by visiting  http://ce.uci.edu/productivityist  then enter the promo code  timecrafting . Make sure you take advantage of this limited time offer as it is only valid until December 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm.

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 (3:50)He shares why he started his blog (10:29)This is the difference between resilience and grit (11:47)We talk about the use of ellipses or the dot-dot-dot (13:10)These are the steps that you need to take to be awesome (17:14)We explore an all-too-common feeling: the feeling of not being good enough (21:00)Neil and I discuss the importance of failure (30:50)Does Neil journal? (36:28)Neil turns the tables and asks me about my journaling practice (39:16)When I share with Neil my TimeCrafting methodology he asks if I feel any sort of constraints surrounding it (43:12)I turn the tables back and ask Neil if he has any sort of daily theming practice that he uses (45:15)We close out the conversation by slowing things down a bit (58:35)

“We have never been more productive – ever – than now.”

– Neil Pasricha

Helpful Links



You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional LifeDay OneWhat Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More SuccessfulThe Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the WorldThe Pomodoro TechniqueNeil.blog3books.coThe 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!

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 269: You Are Awesome with Neil Pasricha appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 268: Metamorphosis with Steven L. Blue

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.

This episode is sponsored by  MeetEdgar . I’ve been using MeetEdgar to help me pay greater attention to what I share on social media, when I share it, and how I share it. One element of my work that is going to be impacted by using MeetEdgar is that I can give greater attention to areas of my work outside of social media – like the book I’m working on – because MeetEdgar will take care of my social media needs. Give MeetEdgar a try. Visit  meetedgar.com/timecrafting  and use the code  timecrafting  to receive an extended 60-day free trial!

This episode is brought to you by  Woven Calendar . Woven Calendar features powerful scheduling tools built into a smart, collaborative calendar. I absolutely love Woven. It’s allowed me to streamline my appointment bookings on so many levels and is an absolute pleasure to use. The templates are a huge timesaver, the scheduling links are phenomenal, and the ability to quickly toggle between what is “My Time” and everything else on my calendar gives me a quick snapshot of my day like no other calendar app does. Listeners of thus podcast are getting an exclusive offer to put Woven through the paces for themselves. Sign up for free today at  woven.com/timecrafting  and add Woven to your productivity stack and schedule faster than ever before!

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 (2:06)Steven discusses the idea of “innovational potential” (3:32)The surprising model that Steven believes you should follow when going through a metamorphosis (4:26)We talk about disruptive thinking and how important it is to adopt it (6:47)Would Steven hire a Chief Innovation Officer? (9:06)This is what Steven had his staff trained in years ago that has helped the company out in incredible ways (10:07)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 (18:41)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 (21:39)When and how does scale play a role in the metamorphosis of a company? (23:41)This is one of the toughest aspects of making change… no matter the size of your business (26:26)How much time does Steven spend in the planning phase? (29:41)Outsourcing is key – but there’s an important piece when you’re outsourcing to external contractors that Steven believes is a must (33:45)This is the biggest piece of advice that Steven says will help you get a decent start when you decide to undergo a metamorphosis (35:41)

“Innovation should be everybody’s job.”

– Steven L. Blue

Helpful Links



Metamorphosis by Steven L. BlueSteven’s WebsiteSteven on TwitterThe 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.

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 268: Metamorphosis with Steven L. Blue appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 267: Revisiting and Reframing Automation with Wade Foster

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.

This episode is sponsored by  HoneyBook . HoneyBook is an online business management tool that organizes your client communications, bookings, contracts, and invoices – all in one place. HoneyBook makes it simple to run your business better. Professional templates, e-signatures and built in automation keeps everything on track and makes you look good. right now, HoneyBook is offering listeners of this podcast 50% off when you visit http://honeybook.com/timecrafting . Payment is flexible, and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually.

This episode is brought to you by the University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education. Established in 1962, UCI offers education for adult learners in Orange County. But thanks to technology, their courses and certification programs in various fields are now available worldwide and online for just about anyone who’s interested. You can get 15% off of one (1) course by visiting  http://ce.uci.edu/productivityist  then enter the promo code  timecrafting . Make sure you take advantage of this limited time offer when Winter registration opens up on October 25th as it is only valid until December 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm.

This episode is sponsored by  MeetEdgar . I’ve been using MeetEdgar to help me pay greater attention to what I share on social media, when I share it, and how I share it. One element of my work that is going to be impacted by using MeetEdgar is that I can give greater attention to areas of my work outside of social media – like the book I’m working on – because MeetEdgar will take care of my social media needs. Give MeetEdgar a try. Visit  meetedgar.com/timecrafting  and use the code  timecrafting  to receive an extended 60-day free trial!

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 revistied and reframed discussion.

Talking Points



Wade shares a bit about Zapier (2:29)Where has Zapier gone since its inception? How has it evolved? (3:41)Is there such a thing as “too much automation”? What trips people up when they are trying to automate? (6:07)Here’s what Wade thinks Zapier – and automation – is helping people focus on to help out with their productivity (8:56)Wade shares how you can make time to automate – and why you should (11:03)Here’s one thing that you can’t automate on the whole… but can automate in parts (13:55)How Wade started automating – and how he keeps at it (21:24)What automation has freed Wade up to do more of (23:23)Does Wade keeps a to do list? Here’s how he structures his weeks (25:10)How Wade breaks down big things – like projects (27:02)What about home or personal automation? What does Wade do on that front? (28:15)Where does Wade draw inspiration from? (29:18)These are the particular pieces of writing and content that Wade refers to consistently to stay on track (31:15)We talk about scale and how Zapier plans to scale (33:35)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 (36:30)

“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. “

– Wade Foster

Helpful Links



A Closer Look at Automation with Wade Foster | The Productivityist PodcastThinking Fast and SlowIFTTTSignal v. Noise | BasecampThe Hard Things About Hard ThingsI Ran the Full Text of Jeff Bezos’s 23 Amazon Shareholder Letters Through a Word Cloud Generator, and the Insights Were Astonishing | Inc.com1,000 True Fans | The TechniumThe Innovator’s DilemmaZapierThe 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.

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 267: Revisiting and Reframing Automation with Wade Foster appeared first on Productivityist.