Do Busy Right - The Task and Attention Management Podcast

Change is hard because we are habitual creatures. This episode explores how to leverage our powerful social nature to overcome the difficulty of self-improvement and achieve mastery . Getting better allows us to experience greater joy, agency, and efficiency, leading to less stress. Learn how to overcome cultural hurdles and utilize group dynamics for strong accountability, effective feedback, and...

Are you struggling with productivity anxiety—that feeling of drowning or running on a treadmill? You are not alone; 80% of workers report this struggle. This episode shifts the rhetoric away from self-blame, analyzing the underlying causes and symptoms of this pervasive problem. The solution is not treatment, but technique: a concept called  Cognitive Ergonomics , which builds systems to support y...

In a world of constant distractions, our ability to focus is a skill under threat. This episode explores why mastering focus is not just about productivity but about doing our best work and leading a more thoughtful life. We'll delve into the modern crisis of attention, understand why our brains resist deep work, and learn actionable strategies to train your focus like a muscle. The Foundational I...

"Work hard" is common advice, but what does it really mean? This episode challenges the one-dimensional view of success and "hustle culture." It explores the limitations of the "brute force method" and deconstructs "hard work" into four distinct "flavors." By understanding these different kinds of challenges, you can critically evaluate your own career path, define your version of success, and cho...

What is Attention Compass and How will it help me? (Classic Episode) This is one of a series of posts that are going to discuss Attention Compass in detail. Attention Compass is my proprietary tool and workflow to put you in control of your information and attention - making you a better more confident knowledge worker and reducing your stress over your productivity.   I think many people are stru...

We are constantly bombarded with information, and the challenge is to make that flow work for us, not against us. This episode explores how our brains instinctively make meaning and categorize information. It defines an organizational scheme that supports your attention, not interrupts it, by fostering an emergent, personal approach to managing information. Discover how to develop a system that fe...

Is your team's knowledge siloed and difficult to find? We often focus on personal organization, but effective group information management is the key to a cohesive and successful team. This episode challenges traditional, top-down approaches and presents a more effective, individual-centric solution. Discover how empowering every team member to manage their own information can transform your group...

Your attention is your most valuable asset, but it's constantly under assault from an "infinite" number of tasks and requests. This episode provides the understanding and practical tactics to confidently say "no," reclaim your productive potential, reduce overwhelm, and intentionally direct your life and work. Learn to master this crucial skill and manage the things you're not doing. Key Takeaways...

AI is changing at a breathtaking pace, but its foundational principles and impacts on knowledge work are likely to persist. This episode dives into these enduring truths, moving beyond specific features to explore how AI is transforming our productivity. We'll discuss its inherent design for engagement, the pitfalls of its chat interface, and its real-world performance on common tasks like researc...

Episode 91: Architecting Your Digital Sanctuary   Feeling overwhelmed by distractions and struggling to find focus in your work? This episode explores the concept of "monk mode" transformed into a practical, regular practice: architecting your digital sanctuary. Learn how creating a focused work environment can dramatically increase your efficiency, improve work quality, speed up completion, and s...

Episode 90: Master Your Tasks & Reclaim Your Time with Backlog Refinement Description: Are you tired of daily to-do list "rigmarole" and feeling overwhelmed by your tasks? This episode introduces a powerful concept for managing your commitments and freeing up valuable time: the backlog, and the crucial "refinement rhythm" that keeps it manageable. Discover how implementing a structured backlog can...

I want to delve deeper into a concept that listeners found interesting in a previous discussion: Commonplace Books. My goal here is to show you how a modern toolset, specifically Attention Compass, transforms the idea of a commonplace book from an overwhelming task into a practical and incredibly powerful exercise for the modern world. This is especially valuable for those of us who are knowledge...

Hi there. I want to talk about a common source of pain among people on teams: meetings. You simply can't discuss productivity without addressing meetings, and my goal is to equip you with actionable ways to make meetings more productive. I'll share tactics, discuss the realities of meeting culture, and provide desk-level actions you can implement to improve how meetings function within your organi...

My goal today is to help you understand a few things that are true about knowledge work, specifically focusing on a concept called executive function. This term may be new to you, but I believe it perfectly describes what we're all dealing with in our daily lives and work. Ultimately, I want to describe an "operating system" that we can put in place to help us with this crucial skill.   Why is thi...

Productivity is hard to measure. I've talked about it before. The measurement problems can lead us to confusion about our productivity. I'll talk about what this looks like in the workplace in a minute.   If we think we're more productive than we are (and there's good reason to believe we do), we won't be motivated to engage in making it better. We'll be complacent, thinking that 'we're doing abou...

Today, I'm going to outline the current progress in the pursuit of increasing knowledge work productivity. I'll have some suggestions about how you can improve your productivity. Mostly, this is encouragement and motivation to do the work required to get on top of your game and stay there. Purpose: understand that Knowledge Work Productivity is not a solved problem while recognizing good direction...

I'm going to dive into the logic of the debate around technology.   Purpose: To earn a stronger hearing for honest critiques of technology: We'll discuss a common pattern where critics are dismissed as "anti-technology" or "Luddites".   What's in it for you:  To be encouraged and equipped to question the rhetoric that faces us from a technology-forward culture. And/or answer the question: "You don...

Most people don't know how to process incoming information.   This is a core part of personal information management, which (particularly for knowledge workers) is absolutely critical for modern economic life.   The ways in which we receive information are continuing to change. The amount of information and level of awareness that the business and general cultures expect of us are both increasing...

I was answering a question: "how do I manage my time?" and I was thinking of it in terms of scheduling. Then it occurred to me that we don't manage time. (I've said that a lot.) But, what is it then that we do with time? And it occurred to me to think: time is the constraint. Now, this is hardcore knowledge worker stuff here. Time is the primary limiting factor on throughput in our productivity sy...

WFH: Don't Fall For the Hidden Challenge   Most everybody I hear wants to work from home. I've posted previously that most employees see WFH as a convenience and a perk. Is it possible that WFH is not all upside? What if WFH presents challenges to our thriving. I'm all about thriving, so I think you should know about this challenge that Gallup is reporting.   And I think the challenge is one we ca...

Eradicating information overload.   The goal of personal information management is to put processes and tools around our information so we can "manage" it – that means control it, tame it, have fewer emergencies around it. Our fear that we don't have it well-managed causes us stress and anxiety – we call this 'information overload'.   So, a feeling of information overload is an indication that we...

This episode is about the outcomes you can achieve with the information and coaching I am able to give.   This is important, because it's gonna be work. It's not hard work but it is work. You'll need to change a couple of thought patterns and build a new habit or two.   And in order for you to do that work, you need to know what's in it for you: what's going to happen when you do it.   I'll talk a...

I want to describe calm productivity. And I want to contrast the results of attention management to the results of efforts to do time management.    I'm going to take you over to a recording of a public talk I did at a conference at UA. It's titled: "The Three Enemies of Productivity".   The actual thing that we all want is productivity or efficiency (which are probably synonyms, for the most part...

Our attention is over-allocated by a nexus of events. This episode is what to do about that.   I'm gonna acknowledge something that I'm not a big fan of. Apparently April is stress awareness month. So, if you weren't aware of stress, stress is a thing. I think most of us are aware of it.   I don't want to be a curmudgeon but oh my word. Yes, I'm already aware of all of the different months that ha...

The happiness at work episode. Yay. I'm happy to be at work.   Last time we talked about pessimism versus optimism. A closely related subject is happiness versus misery. I do think that optimism is critical. I've heard it said that your number one goal as an entrepreneur is to protect your optimism. I think it's that important.   If you're in the knowledge Work World and think you're not an entrep...