Time and Attention: Recent Episodes
Chris Bailey
Time and Attention is a podcast that will help you become more intentional and productive. Hosted by Chris Bailey, the author of two productivity books, and Ardyn Nordstrom, a nerdy economist, the show covers topics as diverse as productivity, focus, procrastination, time management, money, happiness, gratitude, and disconnecting. We occasionally also welcome a bestselling author onto the show to talk about a book they wrote.
On this episode, we chat about the tech stacks we use to get work done on a daily basis.
A few select pieces of gear that we mentioned in this episode:
- Ardyn’s Sony headphones
- Lululemon’s great backpacks
- Belkin mount for Mac notebooks
- The Caldigit TS4 dock
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Our tech setups! appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about our writing workflows—with books, academic papers, and other forms of writing.
A couple of links from the episode:
- Bear app (great font!)
- Book: How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Our writing workflows appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about which tactics and habits from past episodes haven’t stuck for us!
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Tactics that haven’t stuck for us appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, I chat about the idea of productivity guilt—including where it comes from and what to do about it.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Productivity Guilt appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about our favorite strategies for traveling with greater ease. Some topics covered include those to help you transverse time zones, pack more quickly (and without thinking), and enjoy getting to your destination more!
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Our favorite travel hacks appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about busyness—including how feeling busy is different from actually being busy. Some topics covered include:
- How we often wear busyness as a badge of honor;
- How we can’t be busy and focused at the same time;
- Busyness and busywork;
- “Parkinson’s Law”;
- How we tend to overestimate how long we work for;
- How busyness can be a sign we have the capacity to become more productive.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Unpacking busyness appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about what the research shows about news consumption—and what to do about it. Some topics covered include:
- Our “surface area of concern”;
- Tactics for deliberate news consumption;
- How the news affects our mind;
- What our own consumption patters (currently!) look like.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Deliberate news consumption appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, I chat with author and writer Scott Young about his new book, Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery.
I hope you enjoy the conversation—about learning, mastery, and how to get better at pretty much anything.
Listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: How to Learn Anything appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about the science behind meetings—and how to get more value out of them. Topics covered include:
- The four helpful roles meetings have;
- Questioning your recurring meetings;
- Considering relationship dynamics in meetings;
- Becoming a good steward of other peoples time;
- Designating a meeting leader;
- Not attending meetings without an agenda;
- “Modalities” for meetings;
- Making meetings more interesting (and actually enjoyable);
- Whether asynchronous “meetings” are worthwhile;
- Ending zoom fatigue through oddly-timed meetings.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Research paper: The key features of workplace meetings: Conceptualizing the why, how, and what of meetings at work
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Tactics for meetings appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about the science behind meetings—along with the value and annoyances they bring. Topics covered include:
- Chris’s review of the Staples coworking space;
- What makes meetings so draining;
- The four main purposes of meetings;
- How many meetings we have a week;
- Collaborative versus focused work;
- The incremental cost of meetings;
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Paper: Do We Really Need Another Meeting? The Science of Workplace Meetings (Mroz; Allen; Verhoeven; Shuffler)
- Paper: Virtual Work Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Good, Bad, and Ugly (Karll; Peluchette; Aghakhani)
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The Value of Meetings appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about strategies for time blocking your day—including the ones we use. Topics covered include:
- The benefits of time blocking;
- The “rolling” time blocking method;
- How long our blocks are;
- How autonomy interacts with time blocking;
- Making time blocking sustainable.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: How We Time Block appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, Cal Newport hops back on the show to talk about his great new book, Slow Productivity. It’s a great, fascinating new book (and interview!), both full of actionable insights on how to slow down in order to become more productive.
Topics covered include:
- How “slow productivity” came into being;
- The three ingredients of slow productivity;
- “Engineering simplicity” at work;
- The idea of “administrative overhead”;
- Narrowing the “missions” you have in your work;
- Avoiding “task engines”;
- Why the pace of knowledge work has become so frenetic;
- Cal’s unique spin on “quiet quitting”;
- Studying related fields to yours for boosting creativity.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Slow Productivity book
- Cal’s New Yorker columns
- Including: Why Do We Work Too Much?
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The art of slow productivity appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how we use and think about social media. We cover what the problem is with social media (if there even is one), how the “novelty bias” hijacks our attention as we use it, and tactics to use to keep social media contained.
Topics covered include:
- The books we’re reading (and loving);
- Impulsiveness and procrastination;
- How social media algorithms come down to “bodies and comparing lifestyles”;
- Ardyn’s incredibly wholesome Instagram feed;
- “Stimulation loops” and the “novelty bias”;
- Crowding out social media;
- Extracting more meaning out of social media;
- Putting guardrails in place to waste less time;
- Time cues on your phone.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Books:
- Hyperefficient
- Slow Productivity
- A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set
- How to Write a Lot
- Naked Economics
- The Future of Geography
- Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
- These Precious Days
- Values
- After Steve
- Purr
- Outlander
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: How to think about social media appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about whether or not you should wake up early—and how our biology and daily constraints dictate when we should rise. Topics covered include:
- Calculating your natural wakeup time;
- How our wakeup time drifts;
- The “sepia toned” idea we have to wake up early;
- Carving out time in the morning to be deliberate;
- How biology affects our wakeup time;
- How the constraints of our day affect wakeup time;
- Having an anchor in your morning routine;
- Whether waking up early makes a difference in our daily productivity.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Russell Foster’s great TED Talk, Why Do We Sleep?
- Nick Lewis’s video, You’re Organizing Your House Wrong!
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Should you wake up early? appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how to avoid “all or nothing” thinking—also known as the “eff it” effect, or the abstinence violation effect, if you want to get technical about it. Topics covered include:
- Not being satisfied by partial success
- How the effect plays out across different time scales
- The idea of “sunk costs”
- How awareness is key to behavioral change
- The downfalls of black and white thinking
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: All or Something Thinking (Replay) appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how to stay productive when you don’t feel like it. Ideas covered include:
- How to settle into work when you just don’t feel like it;
- Not letting your to-do list turn into a list of expectations for how things will go;
- The idea of making “only progress”;
- Feeling your “pace of productivity”
- Understanding the procrastination triggers;
- Managing expectations downward;
- Connecting with how you feel to analyze how you’re stuck;
- Paying yourself ‘time and a half’;
- Accommodating your mental resistance to doing a task.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Ardyn’s ChatGPT photo
- Timeular
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: How to Get Unstuck appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about our phone home screens, debate about whose is better, and talk about whether “focus modes” should drive what’s on our home screen.
Chris’s home screen:
Ardyn’s home screen:
A few links mentioned on the episode:
- Locket app: iOS; Android;
- Pedometer++ on iOS;
- ChatGPT voice assistant;
- Kijiji wikipedia page;
- Withings Body Scan.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Our phone home screens appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how the nature of productivity is changing, and how AI is making us more productive by making our work tasks higher-leverage. Topics covered include:
- The most important tasks in your work;
- How our “productivity leverage” increases with time;
- How AI makes us more productive by moving us up the “layers of abstraction” in our work;
- How we can delegate work to AI;
- How AI can save us time;
- The most popular AI apps right now.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- TinyWow
- Canva
- DeepL
- Github Copilot
- Hugging Face
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The highest-leverage tasks in your work appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about the perks and benefits of doing a “fake commute” each morning. Topics covered include:
- Chris’s experiment to do a “fake morning commute”;
- The benefits of morning sun;
- Other benefits of a fake morning commute;
- How commuting variables affect our happiness level;
- Pre- and post-work rituals.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Happy City, by Charles Montgomery (great book!)
- Research:
- The Positive Utility of the Commute: Modeling Ideal Commute Time and Relative Desired Commute Amount
- Commuting and Life Satisfaction Revisited: Evidence on a Non-linear Relationship
- Does commuting matter to subjective well-being?
- Highway to health? Commute time and well-being among Canadian adults
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The perks of a fake morning commute appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how the book publishing industry works—and how you can publish a book of your own, either the traditional or nontraditional way.
[Here’s the PDF] Lucinda mentioned in the podcast!
Topics covered include:
- What Lucinda learned going from being an agent to being an author;
- The role of literary agents in getting you a book deal;
- The art of the “query letter”;
- How to shape a book so it’s distinct and differentiated;
- Timely and timeless ideas;
- Whether having a platform as a potential author is important;
- Your voice, content, and offering as an author;
- Whether to self-publish or traditionally publish a book.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Get Signed book
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: How to Get a Book Published appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about chore credits, our system for getting more chores done at home. Topics covered include:
- How different couples split the chore burden;
- Chores and conflict;
- The value of keeping on top of chore tracking;
- The chore tracking sheet we designed.
Here’s a link to a blank version of the chore tracking template if you want to try it on for size!
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Get Signed book
- Studies and research mentioned:
- The Relationship Between Conflict Topics and Romantic Relationship Dynamics
- For American couples, gender gaps in sharing household responsibilities persist amid pandemic
- Statistics Canada: National No Housework Day
- The Gottman Institute: 4 Typical Solvable Relationship Problems
- Gender Inequality in Household Chores and Work-Family Conflict
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Our “chore points” system appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about the best books we’ve recently read and what we’re currently reading. We also rank Chris’s books.
Here are the links mentioned in this episode:
- Chris’s books that we chatted about:
- How to Calm Your Mind
- Hyperfocus
- The Productivity Project
- Fiction:
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
- We Spread
- The Classical School
- Snow Crash
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- James and the Giant Peach
- Nonfiction:
- Stress-Free Productivity
- Good Habits Bad Habits
- Grit
- How to Write a Lot
- How Not to Age
- Outlive
- The Creative Act (and Rick Rubin’s Wikipedia page)
- The nerdy productivity pick: New Developments in Goal Setting and Task Performance
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The Books We’re Loving appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about our favorite productivity-related gifts that will either save time or make things more efficient. The things we mention on this episode—part two of two—include:
Stationary Stuff
- Septcouleur Lab Notebook
- Non-affiliate link
- The Baronfig Mastermind Desk Pad
- Journals:
- Ardyn’s personal journal
- Non-affiliate link
- One Line a Day journal
- Non-affiliate link
- Our favorite pens:
- In black!
- Non-affiliate link
- In color!
- Non-affiliate link
- TSWBI fountain pens
- In black!
- Post-It Notes
- Non-affiliate link
- Ardyn’s personal journal
Office Stuff
- The Timeular
- Ardyn’s favorite oversized hair clips
- Topo Comfort Mat by Ergodriven
- Non-affiliate link
- Aura Carver photo frame
- Non-affiliate link
- Week from Hell Hand Lotion and Blistex
- Non-affiliate link 1, 2
- Takeya water bottle
- Non-affiliate link
- CyberPower UPS, the most boring pick of the season 🎄
- Non-affiliate link.
All affiliate link proceeds will be donated to Camp Quality Eastern Ontario, an organization that helps kids and teens with cancer. Non-affiliate links are also provided if you’d prefer.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The productivity holiday gift guide.. continued! appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about our favorite productivity-related gifts that will either save time or make things more efficient. The things we mention on this episode—part one of two—include:
- The RovyVon USB-C Flashlight
- Non-affiliate link
- Cygolite Hotrod Lumen Bike Tail Light
- Non-affiliate link
- The Eve Energy Smart Plug
- Non-affiliate link
- Sandisk USB-C and USB-A Drive
- Non-affiliate link
- Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer Switch Starter Kit
- Non-affiliate link
- CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
- Non-affiliate link
- Electronics Organizer Bag
- Non-affiliate link
- Belkin Boost Charge Pro
- Belkin iPhone Camera Mount
- Non-affiliate link
- AirPods Pro 2
- Non-affiliate link
All affiliate link proceeds will be donated to Camp Quality Eastern Ontario, an organization that helps kids and teens with cancer.
Other things mentioned:
- Study: An integrative review of gift-giving research in consumer behavior and marketing
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The productivity gift guide appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about the professional accountability groups we’re in, and why they’re helpful. Topics covered include:
- A brief chat about Chris’s recent meditation retreat;
- What an accountability group is;
- The purpose of forming an accountability group;
- The structure of our groups and meetings;
- How often we meet;
- The sweet spot for how big the groups should be.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Forming an accountability group appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this quickie episode, Chris chats about why you shouldn’t let your to-do list become a source of stress in and of itself.
This episode’s a shortie—Ardyn’s out sick this week—but we still wanted to put something helpful in your feed!
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
Enjoy :-)
The post Podcast: Taking a sick day appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about commitment devices—forcing functions you can add to your life to accomplish more of your goals. Topics covered include:
- What commitment devices are;
- How they work for both approach and avoidance goals;
- The intention—action gap;
- Financial commitment devices;
- Social devices;
- Ways of adding and removing friction for goal attainment.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Journal article: Commitment Devices: Using Initiatives to Change Behavior
- Journal article: Commitment Devices
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below
The post Podcast: Using “commitment devices” to achieve your goals appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how to calculate your biological prime time—the time of the day you’re the most productive. We cover:
- How our productivity moves in tandem with our energy levels;
- How to calculate your “biological prime time”;
- When we’re the most productive and creative throughout the day;
- How to work around these hours!
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Calculating your peak productivity time appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how “SMART” goals might not be all they’re cracked up to me—and a few ways to set smarter goals. Topics covered include:
- Characteristics of “SMART” goals;
- The research on how effective SMART goals really are;
- Performance vs. process vs. learning goals;
- The different time frames we set intentions over;
- The differences between goals, intentions, and priorities;
- How to set better goals in general.
Link mentioned in this episode:
- Study: The (over)use of SMART goals for physical activity promotion: A narrative review and critique
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Setting smarter goals appeared first on Chris Bailey.
The pomodoro technique, and how (and whether) we use it in our own work.
The post Podcast: The Pomodoro Technique appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about stimulation fasting. Topics covered include:
- What stimulation fasting is;
- Why an overstimulated mind can be counterproductive;
- “Altitudes” of mental stimulation;
- How to conduct a fast of your own;
- What Chris and Ardyn are fasting from right now.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: How to Calm Your Mind
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below
The post Podcast: How (and why) to do a stimulation fast appeared first on Chris Bailey.
A conversation with the author of Four Thousand Weeks on limits, finitude, and time management.
The post Podcast: My interview with Oliver Burkeman (replay) appeared first on Chris Bailey.
The productivity apps we subscribe to—and what we’re cutting.
The post Podcast: Drowning in subscriptions appeared first on Chris Bailey.
Lessons from Chris’s experiment to switch to a flip phone for a month.
The post Podcast: Are smartphones a net positive? appeared first on Chris Bailey.
Exploring the science behind napping.
The post 106: Naps! appeared first on Chris Bailey.
We dig into the research surrounding multitasking—including where it does and doesn’t work.
The post Podcast: Digging into multitasking appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about our favorite productivity gadgets. Topics covered include:
- Our brief thoughts on the Apple headset (and other announcements);
- Having cables everywhere;
- Apple’s World Adaptor Kit (Apple.com);
- The Timeular time tracker (Timeular.com);
- The Aqara FP2 (Aqara.com);
- Logitech Spotlight Remote (Logitech.com; Amazon.com);
- MagSafe Battery Pack (Apple.com);
- Sonos Roam (Sonos.com; Amazon.com);
- The Elgato Key Light (Elgato.com; Amazon.com) and CamLink 4K (Elgato.com; Amazon.com);
- The reMarkable (reMarkable.com; Amazon.com).
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The best productivity gadgets appeared first on Chris Bailey.
In this episode, I chat with Cal Newport, the author of A World Without Email, about his book—and how we can manage email during such a distracting time.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: My chat with Cal Newport about email appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode is my conversation with Jennifer Petriglieri, author of the book Couples That Work. On this episode we chat about:
- The three transitions couples tend to go through;
- How couples become interdependent;
- “Couple contracting”;
- How we recalibrate to what we want;
- Having a “secure base” in a relationship;
- Playing with our identities;
- Whether we should account for love in our career decisions.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: Couples That Work
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The three transitions we go through as a couple appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about Chris’s experiment to use a flip phone for a month. Topics covered include:
- The utility we get from smartphones;
- Big phones versus small phones;
- The “jobs to be done” theory of using our devices;
- How gathering has become digital;
- How communication norms have changed over time;
- Managing norms within social groups;
- Re-evaluating our relationship with our smartphone;
- What to be mindful of with our phone.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- The Alcatel Go Flip 3;
- The Punkt phone;
- Book: Amusing Ourselves to Death
- Journal article: How many hours does it take to make a friend?
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Using a flip phone for a month appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about a potpourri of fun topics, including:
- What we’ve learned after 100 episodes;
- How to drink a glass of champagne;
- Our go-to productivity apps and accessories;
- Fantastical’s 40% price increase;
- Whether we still enjoy doing the show together;
- Tips for stimulation fasting;
- How we manage our time every day;
- How to account for time pressure in planning your days.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: How to Calm Your Mind
- Wikipedia: Parasocial interaction
The post Podcast: 100 podcast episodes (and counting)! appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, I chat with Gloria Mark, the author of the new book Attention Span. Topics covered include:
- The benefits of managing our attention deliberately;
- Why (and whether) we lose control of our behavior using our devices;
- What makes email so damn stressful;
- The “attention traps” we fall into;
- How rote tasks are actually good for us and replenish our energy;
- The countless factors that influence our attention;
- How we all have different preferences when it comes to multitasking.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: Attention Span
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: How to build your attention span appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how to get into a state of flow, where we’re totally immersed in what we’re doing. Topics covered include:
- What a “flow state” is;
- The characteristics of a flow state;
- Shortcuts to help us get into a state of flow;
- How flow helps us perform better with creative tasks;
- When a flow state isn’t helpful;
- The “flow channel”;
- Why we shouldn’t always evaluate how we’re doing as we work;
- The steps for focusing on something, and how these can help us enter a flow state.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
- Book: How to Calm Your Mind
- Book: Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity
- Book: On Writing
- Article: The flow channel
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: How to get into a flow state appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about Chris’s latest experiment, to switch to a flip phone from a smartphone for a period of a month (to start). Topics covered include:
- How great the flip phone era was;
- How Ardyn feels about this experiment;
- The 6 reasons Chris is giving up his smartphone;
- The downsides to large screen phones;
- Whether smartphones are a net good in our lives;
- How personal the technology in our life has become;
- The “jobs” we “hire” our devices to do for us.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Article: Here’s why I’m trading in my smartphone for a flip phone this month
- Article: Clay Christensen’s Milkshake Marketing
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Chatting about the flip phone experiment appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we welcome Laura Vanderkam back on the podcast to chat about her new book, Tranquility by Tuesday. Topics covered include:
- The three categories to use to plan your days and your life;
- Why we should plan our weeks on Friday afternoon;
- Laura’s daily planner of choice;
- How doing something three times a week makes it a habit;
- How carving out more white space can make us more productive;
- How to get more out of our leisure time;
- How to introduce more novelty into our days to slow down the passage of time.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: Tranquility by Tuesday
- The planner that Laura uses
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: 5 tactics for more tranquility in your life appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about how we like to go “novelty hunting,” especially in the digital world. Topics covered include:
- What “novelty hunting” is;
- The connection between novelty and dopamine;
- The three dopamine factors;
- The “novelty bias”;
- How novelty hunting is more stressful than we give it credit for;
- Superstimuli;
- How novelty changes our perception of time;
- Awareness of our novelty hunting;
- How novelty hunting used to look a lot different before the internet;
- What to do about it!
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: How to Calm Your Mind
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: What to know about “novelty hunting.” appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about the science of “savoring”—the process through which we enjoy our lives. Topics covered include:
- How “savoring” is the process of converting positive experiences into positive emotions;
- The productivity benefits of savoring;
- How savoring helps us become less anxious;
- The psychological and neurological benefits of savoring;
- The balance between striving and savoring;
- How scarcity leads us to enjoy something more;
- The five ways we can savor everyday life;
- The “savor list.”
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: How to Calm Your Mind
The post Podcast: The science of savoring your life appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about ideas from Chris’s new book, How to Calm Your Mind!
Topics covered include:
- How a calm mind can make us significantly more productive;
- How anxiety shrinks our cognitive performance;
- What calm actually is;
- How anxiety is a spectrum;
- How presence is the key to productivity, and how to find it;
- The “accomplishment mindset”;
- The various drafts of How to Calm Your Mind;
- How we need dopamine, and also how it can lead us astray;
- Our brain’s “acquisition mentality”;
- The three factors that influence the size of the dopamine hit we get from something;
- What “superstimuli” are and how they highjack our attention on a chemical level;
- How to balance time between the digital and analog worlds;
- The various types of chronic stress;
- The power science of “savoring” our lives.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Book: How to Calm Your Mind
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: The Year of Calm appeared first on Chris Bailey.
On this episode, we chat about our favorite rituals to ring in the new year. Topics covered include:
- Whether we make New Year’s resolutions;
- The importance of reflection at New Year’s;
- How to think back to past accomplishments;
- Simple rituals to set goals for the year ahead;
- The productivity benefits of gratitude.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Article: Give these 3 new year’s rituals a try
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: Our New Year’s Rituals appeared first on Chris Bailey.
This episode was originally published on May 7, 2019.
In this episode, I chat with David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done, about his book—and how we can carve out more space for having ideas.
You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!
The post Podcast: My interview with David Allen, author of Getting Things Done appeared first on Chris Bailey.
Breaking down burnout—and how to overcome it.
The post Podcast: Understanding burnout appeared first on Chris Bailey.
The things we review every week to become more productive.
The post Podcast: The Weekly Review appeared first on Chris Bailey.
A few of my favorite writing tips—and the ones I use every day.
The post Podcast: My go-to writing tips appeared first on Chris Bailey.
We briefly chat about Chris’s next book, and then explore the science of self-talk.
The post Podcast: Taming Negative Self-Talk appeared first on Chris Bailey.
Reflecting on your dividend-paying habits can help you sustain them in the long run.
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James and I chat about his fantastic book, Atomic Habits.
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Becoming more productive in a college/university setting.
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A few practical, tactical ways to measure daily productivity
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The costs of task switching—and how to get better at switching between things.
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A few rituals for planning your week—along with a few favorite books we’ve read recently.
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Productivity doesn’t have to only be about the blind pursuit of accomplishment.
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The best sources of caffeine—for lasting energy.
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Work breaks: How long they should be and how to take them.
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Tapping into your sources of motivation.
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Reviewing the Timeular and the reMarkable 2 on the podcast.
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We chat about the power of chunking your day into blocks of time on this week’s podcast
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Working with greater intention, in general, every week, and every day.
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How to define (and think about) productivity
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Ideas for dealing with change—the main constant in our
lives
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How to think like an economist to become more productive.
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One of the best prioritization strategies out there.
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Economist John List hops on the podcast to talk about why ideas fail, and how to discover which of our ideas have a chance.
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An episode about the habits we do—and track!—every day.
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The wonders—and perils!—of setting New Year’s resolutions.
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How to define boundaries around productivity over the holidays.
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Getting help from others can be a strength, not a weakness.
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Annie Murphy Paul joins the podcast to chat about her great new book, The Extended Mind.
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A far better name for the podcast!
The post Same podcast, better name! appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
A conversation on limits, finitude, and time management.
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The limits of time management—along with a few of our favorite time management habits.
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The productivity benefits of slowing down at work and in life.
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Some strategies for stress relief that actually work
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The science of feeling fresh after some downtime.
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A few of my favorite email habits.
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Every yes is a no, and every no is a yes
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We quickly forget about the milestones we hit. Here’s how to celebrate them!
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Obstacles are hard to deal with as they come up, but pretty easy to deal with ahead of time.
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My all-time favorite productivity habits—part 2 of 2!
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My all-time favorite productivity habits—part 1 of 2!
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The very best ways to organize the projects on your plate.
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A few good food habits to crowd out your bad ones.
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My conversation with Michael Moss, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Salt Sugar Fat and Hooked.
The post The 5 things that make processed food addictive appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Novelty is one of the most underrated ingredients for living a good life, and creating more memories.
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I chat with author Cal Newport about his new book about email.
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On this episode, we chat about five productivity experiments you can try out while stuck at home.
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Things aren't as black and white as you might think.
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Not all those who wander are lost.
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Our favorite tricks and tools for how to capture ideas—and why you should do it in the first place.
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A productivity tactic for the times: create a “worry list”.
The post The Worry List appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Ashley Whillans on the interplay between time, money, and happiness.
The post What makes us happier, time or money? appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Give yourself a gift that keeps on giving.
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A simple and powerful trick to reset between tasks.
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Conjure up worst case scenarios and deal with them—before they actually happen.
The post Starting a new project? Conduct a pre-mortem appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
The advice we all need to use our phone less during this uniquely crazy and anxious time.
The post Here’s how to (properly) put down your phone appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
A few email management tactics—none of which require you to spend hours emptying your inbox.
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My conversation with Cait Flanders on how to follow a path that’s more true to you.
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The best way to put a problem to bed.
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Reading is one of the most meaningful ways to spend your day. Here’s how you can do more of it.
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How to befriend change—one of the greatest forces in the universe.
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Some of our biggest lessons learned so far on the podcast.
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Kelly McGonigal on why exercise might be the best thing you can do for your mental health, happiness, and connection with others.
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A list of some the best productivity books ever written.
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Idleness, when practiced properly, can actually make you more productive and creative.
The post Yes, you have permission to be lazy right now appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
My chat with Henry Emmons, on the science of settling our mind.
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Overcoming procrastination, by understanding what causes it.
The post The 7 Triggers of Procrastination appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Some simple ways to settle your mind.
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Some tips for working from home when focusing is tough.
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How to find the most productive tasks in your work.
The post A five-minute activity to discover your most important tasks appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
The information you consume matters more than you think.
The post What to Put Into Your Mind appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Spending a week under the Jamaican sun, in an effort to think more like Bill Gates.
The post What I Learned Taking a Bill Gates-Inspired “Think Week” appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Resetting how much caffeine you consume can be good for your health—and your productivity.
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Be sure to recall all you're grateful for as the year draws to a close.
The post What are you grateful for this New Year’s? appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
What can the latest nutritional research teach us about how to lose weight?
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My interview with bestselling author James Clear.
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The key is to actually settle your mind.
The post The Key to Relaxation appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
What is resiliency, and how can we build up how resilient we are? I chat with Neil Pasricha.
The post A daily reflection that will make you more resilient appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
The 13-week weight loss challenge.
The post Want to join me in losing some weight? appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Alcohol can make us more creative, but it also has a whole host of downsides.
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Some experts are worth listening to, and some are full of $#!†. I chat with Cait Flanders about how to distinguish between them.
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Some ways to drink caffeine deliberately, and get (even more) energy out of it.
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Hyperfocus comes out in paperback today! We cover 10 strategies for reading nonfiction books on the pod.
The post Hyperfocus comes out in paperback TODAY! 🎉 appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Accountability is one of the best antidotes to procrastination.
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For every minute you spend meditating, you’ll get many more back.
The post 5 Practical Things Meditation Can Teach You appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
How to track your time—the most limited resource you have to get stuff done.
The post How to Track Your Time appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Our energy per hour isn’t consistent, and because of this, neither is our focus nor productivity. Here's how to calculate when your energy peaks.
The post 3 Ways to Calculate Your Peak Energy Time of Day appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
A bunch of fun (and counterintuitive) strategies for traveling smarter.
The post A Simple Guide for Traveling Smarter appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
The best productivity apps out there right now.
The post The 10 best productivity apps out there appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
Great productivity rituals let you become more productive without much thought. Here are a few worth adopting.
The post 5 Productivity Rituals Worth Trying Out appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
In this week’s episode of Becoming Better, I sit down the author of Getting Things Done, David Allen.
The post 5 Nuggets of Productivity Wisdom from David Allen appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
On this week’s episode of Becoming Better, my cohost Ardyn and I dig into an experiment that we recently conducted: doing a one-month digital declutter.
The post How to Declutter Your Digital Life appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
I recently sat down with Cal Newport for my new podcast, Becoming Better, to chat about his latest book, Digital Minimalism.
The post Should You Become a Digital Minimalist? appeared first on A Life of Productivity.
There are a lot of podcasts out there. So why should you subscribe to this one?
The post Becoming Better Episode 0: A Pitch for Your Time and Attention appeared first on A Life of Productivity.