Focused

David & Mike consider note-taking and its role in the creative process.

Rob Krecak joins us to talk about the psychology behind email, the importance of communication norms, and tips from his experiences helping organizations move to a 4-day work week.

Mike Vardy is back to talk about the rhythm of work and why some people feel "productivity" is becoming a dirty word.

Inspired by a Cal Newport article on Getting Things Done, David & Mike go through an audit of the (in)famous productivity system.

David & Mike explore the idea of favorite problems and identify a dozen of their own in a quest for self-discovery.

Tiago Forte joins us to talk about his new book, building knowledge assets, and flipping the switch from consumer to creator.

Kourosh Dini is back to talk about being with the work and the dark side of flow.

David & Mike share some of their favorite mental models and how to use them for better sensemaking.

Francesco D'Alessio joins us to talk about the state of productivity apps, picking the right tools, and his new app, Bento.

David & Mike celebrate episode 150 by talking about focus traps and answering a bunch of listener questions.

Marc Champagne (author of Personal Socrates) joins us to talk about mental fitness, journaling, and why simply asking the right questions can change your life.

Chris Bailey is back to talk about his dopamine fast, the art of savoring, and avoiding the productivity racket.

David & Mike revisit the topic of task management to talk about Mike's Obsidian task management experiment and their (very different) use of checklists.

Author Annie Murphy Paul joins us to talk about playing with ideas, working in groups, and other ways to extend the mind.

David & Mike consider how the environment affects our ability to focus and share the very different ways they set up their workspaces.

Patrick Rhone joins us to talk about analog productivity, knolling, mise en place, and staying focused while wearing many hats.

David and Mike share some thoughts about what they’re up to in the new year and the personal changes they’re making to their routines.

Sparky finally put his money where his mouth is and he's doing just one thing now. In this episode, Mike has questions and David has answers.

David & Mike discuss the arrival fallacy and the importance of finding joy in the journey.

Engineering professor Cory Hixson joins the Focused crew this week about staying on target, not letting your kids eat take your brain, and why you are not a computer.

David & Mike consider the source of negative self-talk, the power of positive thinking, and taming the rebellious brain.

Mike and David return to the subject of hyper-scheduling after they've both been at it a few years. What works? What doesn't? And how did Mike's experiment go where he stopped blocking time?

Mike and David return to the insidious problem of "busy". Mike and David are not beyond getting caught in this trap and share some ideas about how to avoid it.

Taylor Jacobson joins us to talk about groundedness, vulnerability, and accountability on his journey to founding Focusmate.

Jesse Anderson joins us to talk about self-awareness and the struggles with being productive while battling ADHD.