Chris Bailey - Podcast Details

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Time and Attention149: Everyday Carry On this episode, we chat about what we carry around with us on the go to get stuff done. In Chris’s bag: Lululemon’s closest backpack to Chris’s 22oz Takeya water bottle Davek Solo umbrella (the best umbrella) Davek Mini Umbrella Sonos Ace headphones AirPods Pro earbuds The book Chris mentioned: Our Green Garden, by Diana Beresford-Kroeger MacBook Pro In Ardyn’s bag: Ardyn’s go-to handbag company Bellroy laptop case Neat little screen wipe/cleaner thing Pilot V5: Lid, Click Matt and Nat backpack Kobo Clara BW (available in Canada) Gr...2025-04-0134 min

Chris BaileyPodcast: Everyday Carry On this episode, we chat about what we carry around with us on the go to get stuff done. In Chris’s bag: Lululemon’s closest backpack to Chris’s 22oz Takeya water bottle Davek Solo umbrella (the best umbrella) Davek Mini Umbrella Sonos Ace headphones AirPods Pro earbuds The book Chris mentioned: Our Green Garden, by Diana Beresford-Kroeger MacBook Pro In Ardyn’s bag: Ardyn’s go-to handbag company Bellroy laptop case Neat little screen wipe/cleaner thing Pilot V5: Lid, Click Matt and Nat backpack Kobo Clara BW (available in Canada) Gr...2025-04-0134 min

Time and Attention144: Bad Productivity Advice On this episode, we chat about how to separate good productivity advice from bad. Links mentioned in this episode: Reddit post: **ck your productivity system. Seriously. Chris’s article: Don’t use productivity advice to procrastinate You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Bad productivity advice appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2025-01-2122 min

Time and Attention143: The End of Year Survey Here’s a link to the survey to help determine what I write about next year! We hope you have an incredible holiday! —Chris and Ardyn The post Podcast: The end of the year survey appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2024-12-1924 min

Time and AttentionPart one of our deep dive into meetings! 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...2024-06-2528 min

Time and Attention124: Home Screens 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. 2024-03-1940 min

Time and Attention122: The Fake Commute 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...2024-02-2017 min

Time and Attention119: Books We’re Reading 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 Rubi...2024-01-0941 min

Time and AttentionThe productivity apps we subscribe to—and what we’re cutting. 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.2023-11-2137 min

Time and Attention116: Accountability Groups 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. 2023-11-2137 min

Time and AttentionThe productivity apps we subscribe to—and what we’re cutting. 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.2023-11-0706 min

Time and Attention115: Sick & Thinking About To-Do Lists 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. 2023-11-0706 min

Time and Attention110: Stimulation Fasting 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. 2023-08-2929 min

Time and AttentionThe productivity apps we subscribe to—and what we’re cutting. 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.2023-08-2929 min

Time and Attention109: Oliver Burkeman (Replay) This week’s podcast episode is a replay—a Golden Oldie from the vaults. Hope you enjoy! The original show notes are below. This week I interview Oliver Burkeman for the podcast. Oliver is the author of the fantastic new book, Four Thousand Weeks. In the episode, we have a fun, wide-ranging conversation about a bunch of topics, including: The idea of “finitude,” and why it matters; Our “future-chasing mindset,” which prevents us from enjoying things; How trying to achieve a perfect mastery over our time can make us miserable; Where impatience comes from; The usefulne...2023-08-1635 min

Time and AttentionThe productivity apps we subscribe to—and what we’re cutting. On this episode, we chat about subscription overload—and which ones we think are worth the money. Topics covered include: The productivity apps we subscribe to; How basically everything is a subscription service; Opt-in versus opt-in commitments; How subscriptions have changed over time; Apps that take the subscription thing too far; How to do a subscription audit. Links mentioned in this episode: Article: Basically everything is a subscription service You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Drowning in subscriptions appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2023-08-0127 min

Time and Attention107: Smartphones On this episode, we chat about lessons learned from Chris’s experiment to switch to a flip phone for a month. Topics covered include: The impetus for the experiment; How smartphones are not meant to see switched away from; The phenomenon of zombiefication; The correlation between screen time and mental health; Reflecting on why the smartphone can make us unhappy; “Time confetti” and our phone; Why a phone doesn’t provide us with depth of experience; Raw material for change; Richness and depth of communication; Handing our attention to someone else (and why it can be a...2023-07-1835 min

Time and Attention106: Naps! On this episode, we explore the science behind naps. Topics covered include: How naps help us push past productivity walls; The golden rule of productivity advice; How napping influences cognitive performance and alertness; When to take naps throughout the day; Avoiding sleep inertia; Our ratio of cognitive versus rote work; How sleep deprivation changes how we think about our productivity; What the research suggests with napping; How to take a coffee nap. Links mentioned in this episode: Book: When, by Dan Pink Study: Benefits of napping in healthy adults: impact of nap...2023-07-0424 min

Time and Attention105: Multitasking On this episode, we chat about multitasking—including where it does and doesn’t work. Topics covered include: The different levels of multitasking; Where multitasking does and doesn’t work; Why “conscious intervention” matters with multitasking; Why “attention residue” makes us less efficient as we multitask; The flip book effect; The cognitive costs of switching between tasks; How multitasking influences how memories form; Why we feel more productive when we multitask; Minding your resistance level as you’re tempted to multitask. Links mentioned in this episode: Study: Neurotics Can’t Focus (PDF) You can listen (and subscr...2023-06-2000 min

Time and Attention104: Productivity Gadgets 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 po...2023-06-0640 min

Time and Attention103: How to Think About Email (Rewind) 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. 2023-05-2329 min

Time and Attention102: Couples That Work 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 coup...2023-05-0934 min

Time and Attention101: The Flip Phone Experiment 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 i...2023-04-2531 min

Time and Attention100: Q&A Spectacular 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. 2023-04-1140 min

Time and Attention99: Attention Span 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 t...2023-03-2834 min

Time and Attention98: Habits for Flow 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...2023-03-1429 min

Time and Attention97: The Flip Phone Experiment 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...2023-02-2830 min

Time and Attention96: Tranquility by Tuesday 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. 2023-02-1434 min

Time and Attention95: Novelty Hunting 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...2023-01-3126 min

Time and Attention94: The Science of Savoring 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 sc...2023-01-1723 min

Time and Attention93: The Year of Calm 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...2023-01-0536 min

Time and Attention92: New Year’s Rituals 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. 2022-12-2025 min

Time and Attention91: Getting Things Done 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. 2022-12-0622 min

Time and Attention90: Understanding Burnout On this episode, we chat about what burnout is and how to overcome it., Topics covered include: Our own experiences with burnout; The three characteristics of burnout; The stepping stones to burnout; The two types of stress we face throughout the day; Whether burnout is a primarily workplace phenomenon; The six factors of our work that contribute to burnout. Links mentioned in this episode: Book: How to Calm Your Mind The Maslach Burnout Inventory test (paid) You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Understanding b...2022-11-2228 min

Time and Attention89: The Weekly Review On this episode, we chat about our GTD-inspired weekly reviews—and what we include in them. Topics covered include: What a “weekly review” is; The steps to doing a weekly review; How flexible to be with your review; What we each review every week; Including an “accomplishments list” in the review; Working reflections into the weekly review; The weird way Chris manages his daily schedule; The confidence a weekly review can give you; The payoff of a weekly review over time. Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Getting Things Done, by David Allen The GTD Weekly...2022-11-0824 min

Not Your Average ManEp. 11: Be the Hero of the HolidayIf you’re like the average man, you probably enjoy being the hero every once in a while when the opportunity arises. But it takes an above average man to know how he can show up as the hero in ways the average man might miss. Many of those occasions show up around the holidays, especially when it comes to dealing with extended family and boundaries. If you want to understand what boundaries are, why you need them, why your family needs them, and know how to apply them, listen in on today’s episode as we unpack it all...2022-11-0737 min

Time and Attention88: Writing Tips On this episode, we chat about our favorite writing tips—including the ones we use every day. Topics covered include: How writing triggers procrastination; Giving yourself permission to not write well; How to track writing progress throughout long projects; The power of outlining (including when you don’t want to); Where “writer’s block” comes from; How great writing can be contagious (and how to take advantage of this). Links mentioned in this episode: Book: How to Calm Your Mind Book: On Writing, by Stephen King Book: The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E...2022-10-2533 min

Time and Attention87: Self-Talk On this episode, we briefly chat about Chris’s new book and then dig into the main topic: self-talk. Topics covered include: Chris’s next book, How to Calm Your Mind; The proportion of our internal monologue that’s negative; How self-talk can get in the way of productivity; How universal having negative thought patterns is; How meditation helps tame negative self-talk; How to not zero in on negative thought patterns; The idea of “task-unrelated thought”; How learning to focus helps combat negative self-talk; How gratitude and keeping an accomplishments list help combat negative self-talk. Links ment...2022-10-1124 min

Time and Attention86: The Habits You Take for Granted On this episode, we chat about why we take certain habits for granted, including the ones that actively provide us with dividends. Topics covered include: A brief recap on “focus modes” and “focus filters” on iOS; Why habits become invisible; Habits that are actively providing us with dividends; The great habits we each have that we regularly check up on; Why some habits can work too well; How to reflect on habits you want to sustain in the long run. You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast...2022-09-2723 min

Time and Attention85: Atomic Habits (Rewind) This episode was originally published on December 3, 2019. On this episode, I chat with James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, about his book—and how we can build and develop better habits. You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: My interview with James Clear, author of Atomic Habits appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2022-09-1330 min

Time and Attention84: The Productive Student On this episode, we chat about tactics for becoming a more productive student. Topics covered include: The importance of practice problems; Sitting with problems; The importance to curiosity driving learning; The value of planning on a semester-level;⁃A few apps for managing your schedule; The power of co-op and internships; Taking good breaks; Watching movies instead of binge-watching TV; Reading course outlines. Links mentioned in this episode: Podcast: Procrastination triggers Podcast: How to take a good break Printable four-month calendar creator App: iHomework App: iStudiez Pro App: Power Planner App: Grammarly You can li...2022-08-3036 min

Not Your Average ManEp 1: Becoming More Than AverageDo you want to be better than the average man? Are you tired of being forced into the box of whatever society says being a man even is? We are Chris Bailey, Christian Counselor and Marriage Coach with Expedition Marriage (https://expeditionmarriage.org), and Brad Valencia, Certified Marriage Coach with Unrelenting Pursuit (https://www.unrelentingpursuit.org). As two guys with marriage ministries and marriage podcasts, we see a common problem—our primary audience is women. Men, we know you’re out there and we know you want to grow too, and that’s why we wanted...2022-08-2931 min

Time and Attention83: Measuring Productivity On this episode, we chat about how to measure our daily productivity. Topics covered include: Why we’re so bad at measuring how much we get done; The default metrics we fall back on for determining whether we’re productive; How the number of hours we work matters less than we think; What productivity is for; Minding intention and accomplishment; The accomplishments list and other strategies for measuring productivity. Link mentioned in this episode: Article: -2000 Lines Of Code You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: How...2022-08-1621 min

Time and Attention82: Task Switching On this episode, we chat about task switching—how to get better at it, and the costs of switching tasks too often. Topics covered include: Why multitasking is so fun; How often we switch between tasks as we work; Attentional residue—what it is and how to minimize it; How task switching affects our working memory; How meditation clears our working memory; Our brain’s “novelty bias”; The multiple levels of multitasking; The reminders that come from our digital world. Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Joan, by Katherine Chen; Book: My Reading Adventures, by Anne Bo...2022-08-0228 min

Time and Attention81: How to Plan Your Week On this episode, we chat about a few favorite books we’ve read recently, and how we plan our weeks. Topics covered include: Balancing the “macro” and “micro” parts of your week; Bunching weekly obligations; “Maker” vs “Manager” schedules; The “switching costs” you incur throughout the week Attentional residue; What to consider at the start of your week. Links mentioned in this episode: Book: The Overstory, by Richard Powers Book: Finish, by Jon Acuff Book: Couples That Work, by Jennifer Petriglieri Book: Doing Economics, by Marc Bellemare Book: Indigenomics, by Carol Anne Hilton Book: The Judge’s List, by J...2022-07-1927 min

Time and Attention80: Thoughtful Productivity On this episode, we chat about how the best productivity advice helps us live in a way that’s more true to what we value. Topics covered include: The assumptions embedded within traditional productivity advice; Values-based productivity; The ickyness of hustle culture; The addictive nature of achievement; The difficulty of determining our primary values; The 10 primary values; How to reflect on what your deeper values are. Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Why We Love Article: There are just 10 basic values You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The po...2022-07-0527 min

Time and Attention79: Caffeine Vehicles On this episode, we chat about the best sources of caffeine—the ones that provide the longest lasting energy. Topics covered include: How caffeine produces a stress response; How our body adjusts to our caffeine “baseline”; The countless sources of caffeine that are out there; The magic of L-theanine; Avoiding the post-lunch caffeine crash You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: The best caffeine vehicles appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2022-06-2118 min

Time and Attention78: Taking Breaks On this episode, we chat about work breaks—including how long they should be, how often to take them, and what to do during them! Topics covered include: The two “levels” of work breaks How our energy fluctuates in 90-minute rhythms How our productivity and creativity fluctuate all day long How alcohol and sleepiness affect creativity How long we should break for to optimize our energy levels What to do during your breaks How to avoid unintentional work breaks Links mentioned in this episode: Book: I Know How She Does It Article: Here’s exactly...2022-06-0726 min

Time and Attention77: Sources of Motivation On this episode, we chat about motivation, and how to find more of it. Topics covered include: The different theories of motivation Approach vs. avoidance-based motivation The need for achievement, and incentives for success Keeping a “resistance list” Discovering the opposite of procrastination Finding motivation through what we value Links mentioned in this episode: Finish, by Jon Acuff Self-determination theory (Wikipedia overview) Article: There are just 10 basic values You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Where motivation comes from appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2022-05-2425 min

Time and Attention76: Productivity Tech On this episode, we review a couple of pieces of productivity tech that we’ve recently been trying out: the Timeular time tracker and the reMarkable 2 paper tablet. I’ll also have a review of the reMarkable up on the website in the coming weeks! Hope you enjoy the conversation—we loved both of the devices in different ways, even if they’re not for everyone. You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Reviewing a couple pieces of productivity tech appeared first on Chris Bailey.2022-05-1040 min

Time and Attention75: Time Blocking On this episode, we dig deep into the power of time blocking. Topics covered include: What “time blocking” is; The “working spheres” we occupy; The importance of time blocking when you have a lot of work; Why we should time block; How time blocking helps us work with greater intention; How we time block time off; How strict to be with time blocking; The confidence and calm time blocking can give you; How to learn how long things take; Managing your time blocks after you schedule them! You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below!2022-04-2527 min

Time and Attention73: Redefining Productivity On this episode, we chat about how to define productivity—and how what productivity means has changed over time, especially with the advent of knowledge work. Topics covered include: The misconceptions we have about productivity; How time management is less important than it used to be; How the productivity landscape has shifted; How most productivity advice falls into three categories: time, attention, and energy; The power of intention; Asymmetries of importance in our work and life; A new definition of productivity; Aligning productivity with your values; Guilt, doubt, worry, and productivity You can listen (and su...2022-03-2921 min

Modern Wisdom#453 - Chris Bailey - The Most Important Principles Of ProductivityChris Bailey is a productivity consultant, researcher and best selling author.The world of productivity is messy. Overwhelming volumes of information and contradictory advice doesn't make the world any simpler. I brought Chris on to explain the most important, core principles that research-based studies and real-world practise says contributes to better productivity.Expect to learn why time, attention and energy are your fundamental resources, how to maximise your deliberateness, why starting the day with specified intentions can change the way you work, Chris' nerdy advice for making green tea, why there's a tension between creativity...2022-03-281h 12

Time and Attention72: Revisiting Change On this episode, we chat about how to embrace—and even enjoy!—change. Topics covered include: How expectations influence our relationship with change; The relationship between catastrophizing and change; How change affects the “learning loop” in our mind; The relationship between dopamine and change; Developing strategically low expectations; Focusing on what we can control (and giving up control); Other practical, tactical strategies for dealing with change Links mentioned in this episode: Episode 33: Embracing Change Episode 65: Leaning on Others Book: Four Thousand Weeks Book: Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain Meta-analysis: Coping F...2022-03-1529 min

Time and Attention71: Tradeoffs On this episode, we chat about how to use simple economic principles to become more productive and intentional. Topics covered include: What economics even is; What an “economic tradeoff” is; The “opportunity cost” of our time; The costs associated with our decisions; Recognizing our “sunk costs”; How to “think along the margins.” Links mentioned in this episode: “Bakeonomics” blog Thinking on the Margin & Birthday Cake You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Thinking using economics to become more productive appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2022-03-0130 min

Time and Attention70: The Rule of 3 On this episode, we chat about the “Rule of 3”—my all-time favorite prioritization strategy. Topics covered include: What the “rule of 3” is; How our brain is wired to think in threes; How to prioritize what you have going on in an agile way; The benefits and drawbacks to daily prioritization; The importance of awareness when prioritizing; The power of “implementation intentions.” Links mentioned in this episode: Peter Gollwitzer’s study, Implementation Intentions: Strong Effects of Simple Plans. The post Podcast: My favorite prioritization strategy appeared first on Chris Bailey. 2022-02-1525 min

Time and Attention69: Scaling Your Work On this episode, I chat with John List about his new book, The Voltage Effect. Topics we talk about include: What “scale” and “voltage” are; How he discovered the “silver bullets” of scaling up an idea; The five hurdles we need to overcome when scaling something; How scale is a “weakest link” problem; How to discover which of our ideas have a chance; The three reasons we don’t quit soon enough (and often enough); How to become a “marginal thinker”; How he stays so productive. Links mentioned in this episode: Book: The Voltage Effect You can lis...2022-02-0143 min

Time and Attention68: Our Daily Habits On this episode, we chat about our daily habits—especially the ones we’re actively tracking and moving toward implementing. Topics covered include: The habit tracker we use (and recommend) The daily habits we track The cues that trigger our habits—and how to implement more of them Links mentioned in this episode: Article: The Best Habit Tracking App for iOS Article: The 11 Best Habit Tracking Apps in 2022 Article: The Best Light Therapy Light Book: The Why Axis Two videos on how healthy barberries are You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below...2022-01-1829 min

Time and Attention67: Are Resolutions Worth It? On this episode, we dig into New Year’s resolutions. Topics covered include: The resolutions we’ve set; How often New Year’s resolutions fail—and why they do; The difference between resolutions and goals; How to account for constraints in goal setting; The power of “course correcting” to get closer to your goals; How to course correct on a regular basis. Links mentioned in this episode: A free New Year’s Resolutions Guidebook I wrote a while back. You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Should you set...2022-01-0424 min

Time and Attention66: The Second Annual Holiday Spectacular On this episode, we chat about how to step back from work over the holidays, yet still get things done when you need to. Topics covered include: Whether or not we should even try to be productive over the holidays; The “opportunity cost” of how we spend our time; How the “productivity mindset” can creep into every part of our life; Defining “Productivity Hours” every day—at work and at home; Avoiding guilt, doubt, and worry about how you spend your time. You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: The S...2021-12-2116 min

Time and Attention65: Leaning on Others On this episode, we chat about getting help from others. Topics covered include: The difference between collaboration and asking for help; When we should ask for help at work and at home; Getting help through asking for feedback; How to get good feedback from others; How exactly to ask for help; The power of anticipating obstacles ahead of time; Outsourcing getting help; The importance of respecting the time of others; and How great it feels to help others. Link mentioned in this episode: Honey, I Swept the Floor! via The New York Times Y...2021-12-0721 min

Time and Attention64: The Extended Mind On this episode, Annie Murphy Paul and I chat about her fantastic new book, The Extended Mind. Topics covered include: The “brainbound” way of thinking—and why it’s broken; How our body can be more rational than our brain; How to practice “interoception”; How physical activity, of varying intensities, can support thought; The power of nature in supporting thought; How to externalize information to think more clearly; How open offices affect how we think; The importance of people and thought. Link mentioned in this episode: Andy Clark and David Chalmers’s extended mind theory You can listen...2021-11-2325 min

Time and Attention63: Four Thousand Weeks This week I interview Oliver Burkeman for the podcast. Oliver is the author of the fantastic new book, Four Thousand Weeks. In the episode, we have a fun, wide-ranging conversation about a bunch of topics, including: The idea of “finitude,” and why it matters; Our “future-chasing mindset,” which prevents us from enjoying things; How trying to achieve a perfect mastery over our time can make us miserable; Where impatience comes from; The usefulness of productivity advice; The costs of hoarding our time; ..and more. Four Thousand Weeks is an incredible read. It covers not just how we s...2021-10-2634 min

Time and Attention62: Time Management On this super tactical episode of the podcast, we chat about time management. Topics covered include: What time management is, and why it matters Becoming more aware of how you spend your time Scheduling time commitments around your energy levels The broader picture of time management The Pomodoro technique, and shrinking your “resistance level” Time blocking, and limiting distraction How many breaks to take throughout the day How to time breaks for optimal creativity How autonomy matters with time management Creating artificial deadlines Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burk...2021-10-1229 min

Time and Attention61: The Benefit of Slowing Down On this episode, we chat about how slowing down can help us in work and life, without compromising our performance (if that’s something you care about). Topics covered include: How busy times make slowing down more important—but also lead to more guilt A new definition of the word “productivity” How slowing down helps us savor, experience more meaning, and also creates more opportunity for reflection How to fit slowing down into a busy scheduling, especially by minding the gaps in your day The productivity benefits of meditation The power of “scatterfocus” Links mentioned in this epis...2021-09-2823 min

Time and Attention60: Ideas for Stress On this episode, we chat about stress relief strategies that have been proven to lower the level of stress hormones in our body. Topics covered include: How to think about the stress in your life from 10,000 feet The differences between chronic and acute stress Our body’s stress response How more stress is preventable than we think How stress can provide us with meaning The neurochemicals that underlie stress How stress relief is often an active process A bunch of stress-relief strategies that actually work Links mentioned in this episode: Book: The Upside of Stress Article: 9 st...2021-09-1434 min

Time and Attention59: A Proper Vacation On this episode, we chat about how to actually recharge while taking some time off. Topics covered include: How work can be meaningful—but also a pretty big source of chronic stress Identifying hidden sources of chronic stress in our live How vacations can make us more productive overall How stress both drives us to burnout, but also provides us with meaning How to find things to engage with, and things to savo How to best prepare for time off, to make the time even more rejuvenating Link mentioned in this episode: Study: A Re...2021-08-3125 min

Time and Attention58: Email Habits On this episode, we chat about how to more deliberately deal with email, to both think about it less, and make it a less stressful element of your day. Topics covered include: How much we should think about email in the first place How to conduct “email sprints” The two types of work that we all do How to better organize your email messages Creating different “email environments” The “Five-Sentence Rule” for answering email The intention-interpretation gap with communication How to take an email vacation How to shrink time on email through disconnected hours and pre-defined boundaries C...2021-08-1725 min

Time and Attention57: Saying No On this episode, we chat about the importance of saying no to unimportant things. Topics covered include: Becoming more deliberate about saying no What we should be saying no to—in our work and personal lives Comparison tasks that put “saying no” in perspective The relative meaning and productivity of tasks Knowing the value of your time—and saying no to things accordingly The importance of people in productivity Thinking about what to say yes to You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: How to say no (and what to...2021-08-0322 min

Time and Attention56: Celebrating Milestones On this episode, we chat about how to properly celebrate the milestones we hit. Topics covered include: How we rarely celebrate our accomplishments How the “Zeigarnik effect” leads us to just move onto the next thing The milestones we’re celebrating What it means to have closure with a project The Need for Closure scale The Post-Portem ritual Our favorite rewards for finishing stuff Celebration guilt The right time to celebrate! Links mentioned in this episode: The The Need for Closure Scale, and a link to do the test (PDF) (Chris scored 113, Ardyn scored 135) You can li...2021-07-2022 min

Time and Attention55: Roadblocks, Bumps, and Obstacles On this episode, we chat about obstacles that get in the way of our habits—including the habits we’re in the middle of forming, and the ones we already have. Topics covered include: The payoff of anticipating obstacles ahead of time Some common obstacles that get in our way How to identify the obstacles that’ll get in the way of our specific habits The types of obstacles we face: Environmental, time-based, temptations, and situational The five cues that trigger habits Minding our time, attention, and energy Links mentioned in this episode: Book: The Po...2021-07-0624 min

Time and Attention54: Productivity Habits (Part 2) On this episode, we count down our all-time favorite productivity habits—this week we cover numbers 5-1! Topics covered include: Keeping a “Waiting For” list—and what to capture on it How to organize the items you’re waiting on The importance of “scatterfocus” Where ideas come from—and where our mind wanders to How to recharge, generate ideas, and generate plans The three types of scatterfocus How to conduct a weekly review How to determine your most important tasks Understanding how much time tasks and projects take How to make a daily plan, while including the rule of 3 Th...2021-06-2231 min

Time and Attention53: Productivity Habits (Part 1) On this episode, we count down our all-time favorite productivity habits—this week we cover numbers 10-6! Topics covered include: The point of becoming more productive How productivity can make us more human Earning back time, enjoying the journey, carving out time for what’s meaningful Keeping an accomplishments list The “Zeigarnik Effect” How often to review your accomplishments Email/message sprints “Time confetti” The two types of work: focus work vs. collaborative work Your “biological prime time,” and how to calculate it Working around your energy level fluctuations Taking only the productivity advice that works for you (and lea...2021-06-0830 min

Time and Attention52: Organizing Projects On this episode, we chat about how to organize all of the projects you’re in the middle of, to feel more in control and less overwhelmed by them all. Topics covered include: What a “project” even is The importance of seeing all of what you have going on in one place How to feel in control of your projects Projects lists—and how to sort them Managing shared projects with a team Capturing next steps, “waiting for” items, and reference items The (all-important) Weekly Review Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Getting Things Done Article...2021-05-2529 min

Time and Attention51: Food Habits On this episode of the podcast, we chat about how to crowd out bad food habits—as well as how food habits of abundance are far more helpful than habits of deprivation. Topics covered include: Which food habits to eliminate and double down on How to approach deciding what to eat with an attitude of abundance—not deprivation The “all or nothing” effect with food Introducing dependencies to combat negative habits Our limited reservoir of willpower The Frozen Berry Train What “real food” even is Links mentioned in this episode: Book: How Not to Die Book: Ho...2021-05-1123 min

Time and Attention49: The Power of Novelty On this episode, we chat about the power of novelty—and how this one ingredient influences our perception of time and how meaningful our life feels. Topics covered include: How novelty has affected our perception of time during the pandemic The ways that novel moments serve as markers in time Our brain’s “novelty bias” How novelty, surprise, and dopamine work together How novelty can help us build habits and memories How to make your days more novel “Memory sinkholes” Who is the “Chuck Norris” of the podcast You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post P...2021-04-1327 min

Time and Attention48: A World Without Email On this episode, I chat with Cal Newport about his fantastic new book, A World Without Email. We chat about: How the cost of email is higher than we realize The differences between “asynchronous” and “synchronous” ways of communicating, and why they matter Cal’s idea of the “hyperactive hive mind” How email scrambles our thoughts and makes us anxious How to identify the parts of our work we can move outside of email How Cal manages his own email Key mindset shifts to make with email Overcoming the guilt of not checking email How to automate email...2021-03-3029 min

Time and Attention46: All or Something Thinking 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 appeared first on Chris Bailey.2021-03-0221 min

Time and Attention43: A Subset of Worry Takeaway:: Make a list of everything you’re worrying about, and divide it into what you do and don’t have control over. Then, deal with the items on your list accordingly. Estimated Reading Time:: 1 minutes, 35s. Podcast Length: 22 minutes, 42s (link to play podcast at the bottom of post). Believe it or not, it’s possible to worry more productively. On this week’s podcast, Ardyn and I dig into one of my favorite productivity tactics for crazy times like these: the worry list. The name pretty much says it...2021-01-1922 min

Time and Attention41: The Holiday Spectacular Takeaway:This year, try giving yourself a non-material gift. Three ways to do this: think about something in your life that’s missing; look at the habits you want to pick up again; and take your vacation days or use up your benefits. Estimated Reading Time:1 minutes, 57s. Podcast Length: 15 minutes, 17s (link to play podcast at the bottom of post). Happy holidays, everybody! We’re nearing the end of a weird year, and the thing we might be celebrating the most is the fact that 2020 is almost over. If you’re anything like us...2020-12-2215 min

Time and Attention29: Yes, You Have Permission To Be Lazy Right Now Takeaway:Idleness, when practiced properly, can actually make you more productive and creative. Podcast Length 22 minutes, 56s (link to play podcast at bottom of post). Today I wrote a piece for CNBC.com on how it’s okay to be a bit lazy right now. Of course, not all of us have the luxury of being lazy during a pandemic. But regardless of your situation, I hope you check the article out. Even if you have less time than usual, right now we deserve a break more than ev...2020-05-1922 min

Haunt WeeklyHaunt Weekly - Episode 225 - Chris Gay of Haunt Tech TipsSend us a textThis week on Haunt Weekly, we're continuing the proud tradition of finding people smarter than ourselves to discuss the topics at hand. Today, that means sitting down with Chris Gay, an EMT and rescue chief that is also the brains behind Haunt Tech Tips and a regular speaker to the haunt community about how to prepare for medical emergencies.With everything going on with COVID-19 and the concerns about how it could impact the haunt industry, now is the time to start thinking about potential changes, both inside your haunt and outside of it...2020-03-2349 min

Time and AttentionWhat are you grateful for this New Year’s? Takeaway:You have a lot in your life to be grateful for. Make sure to recall these things as the year draws to a close. Estimated Reading Time:1 minutes, 17s. Podcast Length4 minutes, 58 s. Each New Year, I look back on the year that went by to recall a few things I’m grateful for. Today, I look back at 2019 with gratitude for all that happened in my personal life—getting married to an awesome lady, going on some cool trips, and hitting some...2019-12-3104 min

Time and Attention11: How to Read a Nonfiction Book Takeaway:The paperback version of Hyperfocus comes out today! It looks awesome. Estimated Reading Time:1 minute, 12s. One year ago, my second book, Hyperfocus: How to Manage Your Attention in a World of Distraction, hit store shelves! I consider the book to be the best thing I’ve created to date. It’s about how to take advantage of the science behind how our attention works. Today, a new version of the book hits store shelves, as a paperback published by Penguin Books! Same book, but with nice new packaging (including a li...2019-08-2719 min

Chris Voss PodcastChris Voss Podcast FileCatalyst CEO Chris Bailey at NAB 2019 Booth InterviewFileCatalyst CEO Chris Bailey at NAB 2019 Booth Interview The post Chris Voss Podcast FileCatalyst CEO Chris Bailey at NAB 2019 Booth Interview appeared first on Chris Voss Official Website.2019-04-0900 min

Running Inside Out Podcast031: I'm Not Paying For That - With Colin Bailey L-R: Imogene Pass, Mess The Dress 2015, Crooked Creek 2016, Celebrating Successful Race Directing From traveling thousands of miles for a 1000 beers to traveling thousands of miles for races, Colin Bailey covers a lot of ground. We talk about his "Year of a 1000 beers" that lead to his motivation to get running. We cover some of his race history and then try to figure out what lead him to put on his own 50k race. Even having never run an ultra himself!Episode Notes The History of the FatAssColin's Palmer's Pond Race Page...2016-06-101h 18