Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Time management and time abundance are at the center of this conversation with Laura Vanderkam , bestselling author and time-use researcher. Laura Vanderkam has spent over a decade studying how people actually spend their time — tracking her own hours for 11 years and collecting data from thousands of others along the way. Her new book,  Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance , makes the c...

I’m excited to revisit this conversation with Charlie Gilkey on his book,  Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results . Charlie is the founder of Productive Flourishing, a company that helps professional creatives, leaders, and changemakers take meaningful action on work that matters. He is an internationally recognized thought leader on productivity, planning, strategy, and...

I'm excited to revisit this conversation with Claire Diaz-Ortiz discussing her book,  One Minute Mentoring , co-authored with legendary leadership expert Ken Blanchard. Claire is a keynote speaker, author, and former head of social innovation at Twitter who helps individuals and organizations build more intentional, meaningful connections — and this conversation is one of the most practical w...

What happens when you delete every app off your phone for 21 days? In this solo episode, Erik shares what he discovered during a Christmas break internet break — and what the research says about why so many of us feel like we can't put the phone down in the first place. In this episode, Erik covers: How We Got Here Without Deciding To:  The boiled frog drift into five-to-seven hours of daily...

I’m excited to welcome back my good friend Dr. John Drury for part two of our conversation on the rule of life and how ancient practices can help us live and work with more intention. John is a New Testament scholar, professor, and thoughtful guide when it comes to integrating spiritual rhythms into ordinary life. In this continuation, we move from the big-picture ideas we introduced in part one i...

I'm excited to revisit this conversation I had with John Drury to the show to discuss how ancient spiritual practices can reshape the way we approach productivity, rhythm, and life itself. John is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University's School of Theology and Ministry, holding an M.Div. and Ph. D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a close personal friend of mine for over 25 years. In t...

Welcome to the first episode of 2026! If you’re feeling that “new year, new me” pressure: goals, plans, fresh calendars, the whole thing—this one’s for you. Because when life inevitably punches your perfectly color-coded week in the throat, the issue isn’t your planning… it’s what you thought planning could control. This episode is all about Control vs. Agency—and how to stay productive when outco...

I’m excited to welcome  Mike Vardy  back to  Beyond The To-Do List  for one of our ongoing traditions: Productivity A-Z! This is  Part 2  of a two-part conversation — and we split it across both shows.  Part 1 is over on Mike Vardy’s podcast, A Productive Conversation . You can also watch the whole two part video here . Here on  Beyond The To-Do List , we pi...

I’m excited to revisit this conversation with Annie Duke to the show to talk about her book,  How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices . Annie is a former professional poker player turned decision strategist who blends cognitive psychology, high-stakes poker, and practical frameworks to help us make better choices in work and life—even when we don’t have all the information.&nbsp...

In this shortcast episode, Erik Fisher talks with  Tamsen Webster  about the hidden structure behind every message that sticks. Tamsen introduces the  Red Thread —a framework for crafting ideas that feel obvious in hindsight and impossible to ignore. Whether you’re pitching a project, leading a team, or launching a product, this episode will help you connect what you’re saying to wh...

Margaret Andrews is the founder of Mind and Hand Associates, faculty at Harvard Extension School, and author of  Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding . In this episode, she breaks down the MYLO framework—a practical, science-based system built around  Motivation ,  Learning , and  Opportunity —and explains how leaders at any level...

Shawn Lemon is the founder of  The Digital Organizer , where he helps individuals and teams eliminate friction and chaos in their digital workflows. In this episode, we go deep into digital file systems, tool audits, naming conventions, AI clutter, and the underestimated cost of daily digital disorganization. This isn’t about color-coding your folders for fun—it’s about recovering your focus,...

In this episode, I’m joined by  Dr. Harry Cohen , a leadership consultant and author of  Be the Sun, Not the Salt . In this uplifting conversation, Harry unpacks how small moments of positive energy can have massive ripple effects—and how each of us can show up as a force for good in our relationships, teams, and communities. In this episode, we explore: The Heliotropic Effect in Human B...

This week, we’re revisiting one of our most impactful conversations—with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author  Charles Duhigg , about his latest book  Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection . In a world where remote work, digital communication, and polarized conversations are the norm, knowing how to truly connect is more important than ev...

Pat Flynn returns to the show to share insights from his newest book,   Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less . In a world overflowing with content, Pat offers a powerful solution for those overwhelmed by endless podcasts, videos, and inspiration rabbit holes. Instead of more input,  Lean Learning  is about acting on just the right information at the right time—and dit...

In this Shortcast edition , Alan Gannett, author of  The Creative Curve , demystifies the myth that creativity is an inborn talent. Instead, he lays out how great ideas emerge at the intersection of familiarity and novelty—and how anyone can train themselves to consistently produce creative work. The Creativity Curve Explained:  Alan introduces the “creative curve”—the balance between wh...

Michael Long is a bestselling author and speechwriter who co-wrote  Taming the Molecule of More , the follow-up to the hit book  The Molecule of More . In this conversation, we dive into how dopamine—the brain’s “molecule of more”—drives distraction, craving, creativity, and productivity, and how we can train it to serve us instead of sabotage us. In this episode, we cover: What Dopamine...

Professional organizer Ingrid Jansen, co-author of  Reset Your Home , explains why clutter is more about emotions than “stuff,” why decluttering is a  process  (not a project), and how to start small—think kitchens, cupboards, and daily resets—to build your “decluttering muscle” over time.  In this conversation, we discuss: Process over project:  Decluttering is never “don...

Bill McGowan, author of  Speak Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience , shares practical ways to make your ideas stick—on stage, on Zoom, and in any high-stakes moment. We get into dynamic delivery, smarter structure, and memorable language devices you can use immediately. In this conversation, we discuss: Dial it up (a bit):  Why what feels “over the top” on video usually plays j...

In this episode, Paul Kirby, author of  The FUSE Pathway: How to Find and Lead a Fulfilling Life , shares how to identify your core passions, combine them into a unique vision, and build a realistic, evolving plan to pursue them. Drawing from his own experience of designing a robot that paints, Paul explains the FUSE framework—Find, Upgrade, Start, Evolve—and how it can guide anyone toward a...

Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle is a leading researcher in creativity psychology and author of  The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions to Turn Ideas into Action . In this episode, she unpacks how creativity isn’t just a moment of inspiration—it’s a series of choices. Whether you think you’re creative or not, Zorana shares how motivation, attention, risk tolerance, and constraint sh...

In this shortcast edition of  Beyond the To-Do List , Jeffrey and Jamie Downs , creators of the  Streaking  method and authors behind  streakingmastery.com explore how  laughably simple  daily habits can help you build momentum, boost confidence, and turn goals into long-term identity shifts. Why Simplicity Wins:  Simple actions are doable even on your hardest da...

James Kimmel, author of  The Science of Revenge , joins the show to unpack one of the most overlooked forms of distraction and emotional hijacking: revenge. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and decades of legal and public health research, James reveals how revenge isn’t just an emotional reaction—it’s an addictive cycle that can derail our focus, well-being, and relationships. If you’ve...

Career coach Eliana Goldstein joins the show to help listeners navigate career uncertainty, burnout, and the desire for more meaningful work. After walking away from a “successful on paper” corporate job, Eliana built a coaching business helping high-achieving professionals uncover their ideal roles—without starting over. In this episode, she shares practical tools to find clarity, build momentum,...

In this Shortcast edition , John Jantsch, author of  The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur , draws wisdom from great American writers like Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, and William Wells Brown to explore three essential traits for thriving in life and business: perseverance, perspective, and resilience. Rather than chasing productivity hacks, John invites us to dig deeper—into reflection, discomfo...