A Productive Conversation

Jim Woods, an author and creator of the 'Write Publish Share' course, discusses the intricacies of writing and publishing. He shares practical strategies for overcoming self-doubt and maintaining productivity in busy lives. Woods highlights the relationship between blogging and eBook writing, addressing the fears of new authors. He emphasizes the importance of focused ideas and collaboration with editors, while also exploring the balance between instant gratification and dedication in the writing process, offering valuable insights for aspiring writers.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureMichael Schechter, Mike's good friend, and former podcasting partner drops by the show for the first time on his own. The two of them talk about old times, what Schechter has been up to since they stopped producing Workflowing at 5by5, and the challenges behind closing one chapter in your life so you can make greater strides going forward. Relevant Links https://productivityist.simplecast.fm/26 (The Productivityist Podcast: Everything Is A To Do with Michael Schechter & Patrick Rhone) http://5by5.tv/workflowing (Workflowing at 5by5) http://bettermess.com/ (A Better Mess with Michael Schechter) http://bettermess.com/omnilaunch/ (Speeding Up OmniFocus on iOS with Launch Center Pro) http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=df5920e236c7d03f1dd49fa78&id=87b0fb3919 (The Productivityist Newsletter: Why Reminders Apps Can Level Up Your Productivity) https://twitter.com/mschechter (Michael Schechter (@MSchechter) on Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at info@productivityist.com and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureIn this edition of The Productivityist Podcast Mike and Travis Collier have a friendly - and short - conversation. Travis is the author of "SCALE: Refuse to Settle, Recognize what Matters, Redefine Success" and the two friends talk about how they met (and how it caught both of them and Mike's former podcast colleague Michael Schechter off guard), and what the power of SCALE can do for you. Relevant Links http://productivityist.com/a-look-back-at-the-2013-world-domination-summit/ (A Look Back at The 2013 World Domination Summit (How Mike & Travis Met For The First Time)) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VREX0EQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00VREX0EQ&linkCode=as2&tag=vardyme-20&linkId=TNDQW66GWR4IYOWT (SCALE: Refuse to Settle Recognize What Matters Redefine Success by Travis Collier) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062315005/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062315005&linkCode=as2&tag=vardyme-20&linkId=VIYT6OKN24SJAC6N (The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho) http://bit-thinking.com/ (Bit Thinking: A Journal About Performance) https://twitter.com/tscollier21 (Travis Collier (@TSCollier21) on Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at info@productivityist.com and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureEver want a do-over with your career? Well, the guest on this episode can help you with that. Jon Acuff is a celebrated (and New York Times best-selling) author whose latest effort, Do Over, can help you figure out how to rescue Mondays, reinvent your work, and avoid getting stuck. In this lively (and efficient) discussion, Jon talks with Mike about Do Over...and they occasionally crack jokes while doing so. Relevant Links http://acuff.me/ (Acuff.me) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591847613/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1591847613&linkCode=as2&tag=vardyme-20&linkId=ORS33IW6MXOMYERY (Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck) http://www.neuyear.net/products/2015-do-over-year (NeuYear.net — 2015 DO OVER YEAR) http://www.neuyear.net/products/the-now-year (NeuYear.net — 2015 - THE NOW YEAR) http://acuff.me/career-savings-account/ (The Awesome Career Audit) http://acuff.me/do-over/ (DoOver.me) http://worlddominationsummit.com/schedule (World Domination Summit) https://twitter.com/jonacuff (Jon Acuff (@JonAcuff) on Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at info@productivityist.com and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureThe guest on this episode is someone who looks at time management a lot like the podcast host, Mike Vardy does. Rory Vaden is the author of "Take The Stairs: 7 Steps To Achieving True Success" and "Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time." He is an accomplished speaker and entrepreneur and consults individuals and businesses on productivity. In this discussion, Mike and Rory talk about results management, the calendar, and a slew of other productivity-related subjects. Relevant Links http://roryvaden.com/ (Rory Vaden's Website) http://beyondthetodolist.com/procrastinate-on-porpose-roryvaden-on-discipline-procrastination-priority-dilution-bttdl087/ (Beyond the To Do List 87 - Rory Vaden) http://procrastinateonpurpose.com/ (Sign up for Procrastinate on Purpose training) https://twitter.com/rory_vaden (Rory Vaden (@rory_vaden) on Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at info@productivityist.com and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureDr. James Hamblin, Senior Editor at The Atlantic and the host of "If Our Bodies Could Talk" joins Mike in the show as they talk about the things we can do to help ourselves and our bodies be more effective and efficient and the things we sometimes do that make them function at less than optimum levels. Relevant Links http://www.jameshamblin.com/ (James Hamblin's Website) http://www.theatlantic.com/video/series/if-our-bodies-could-talk/ (If Our Bodies Could Talk - The Atlantic) http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/373027/singletasking-is-the-new-multitasking/ (Single-Tasking Is the New Multitasking - The Atlantic) http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/360855/sad-desk-lunch/ (Sad Desk Lunch: Is This How You Want to Die? - The Atlantic) http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/375660/email-is-ruining-us-a-simple-solution/ (Email Is Ruining Us: A Brilliant Solution - The Atlantic) http://www.putsomecoolinyouremail.com/ (Put Some Cool In Your Email) http://www.theatlantic.com/james-hamblin/ (James Hamblin — The Atlantic) https://twitter.com/jameshamblin (James Hamblin (@jameshamblin) on Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at info@productivityist.com and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureIn this episode, Mike Vardy talks with David Allen, author of Getting Things Done. They discuss the pull of email, how to wrap your head around working by context, and what's different in the 2015 edition of Getting Things Done. Relevant Links https://gettingthingsdone.com/store/product.php?productid=17035 (Getting Things Done, Revised Edition for 2015) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9082205807/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=9082205807&linkCode=as2&tag=vardyme-20&linkId=JQNKDQ2MV6363HC2 (BrainChains by Dr Theo Compernolle MD.PhD) https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-wise/201209/why-were-all-addicted-texts-twitter-and-google (Why We're All Addicted to Texts, Twitter and Google | Psychology Today) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143122231/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143122231&linkCode=as2&tag=vardyme-20&linkId=J6ESEMNB2WNWJN3D (Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierney) http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity-ebook/dp/B00KWG9M2E/ref=la_B001ILIG4C_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426618021&sr=1-1 (Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen - Kindle Edition) https://twitter.com/gtdguy (David Allen on Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at info@productivityist.com and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureIn this episode, Mike Vardy sits down with Phil Simon, author of "Message Not Received." They talk about the problem with email, why clarity is often lost in communication, and what we can do to make sure we have a far better chance of being heard when we send out messages to colleagues and cohorts. Relevant Links http://amzn.to/1FPu30f (Message Not Received by Phil Simon) http://www.philsimon.com/tag/message-not-received/ (Phil Simon's Website) http://www.informationdiet.com/ (The Information Diet by Clay Johnson) http://www.hipchat.com/ (HipChat) http://www.smartsheet.com/ (Smartsheet) http://blog.todoist.com/2015/03/02/interview-phil-simon-message-not-received/ (An Interview with Phil Simon, Author of Message Not Received | Todoist Blog) https://twitter.com/philsimon (Phil Simon (@philsimon) | Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at [info@productivityist.com][8] and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureOn this episode of the podcast, Mike Vardy and Lee Garrett take a look at one of the biggest productivity drains on the planet: meetings. They discuss why they don't usually work as currently designed and what you can do to make them more effective and more productive. (The way this episode was assembled was inspired by the work of Myke Hurley over at Relay.fm. We simply fell in love with his http://www.relay.fm/inquisitive/27 ("Behind The App" series on Inquisitive) and decided to try to take things to the next level with our show. Thanks, Myke. Great work.) This episode of the podcast is sponsored by http://worklife.com/ (WorkLife). Formerly known as Meeting Hero, WorkLife is an online tool that helps teams have more productive meetings. By providing teams one shared system for all their meetings, WorkLife helps ensure everyone stays on the same page and nothing slips through the cracks. You can put WorkLife through the paces by visiting http://worklife.com/ (WorkLife.com). Relevant Links http://business.financialpost.com/2012/04/18/how-meetings-kill-productivity/ (How meetings kill productivity | Financial Post) http://www.ted.com/talks/jason_fried_why_work_doesn_t_happen_at_work#t-41552 (Jason Fried's TEDx Talk: Why Work Doesn't Happen At Work) https://evernote.com/partner/moleskine/ (Evernote & Moleskine) http://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-two-pizza-rule-for-productive-meetings-2013-10 (Jeff Bezos' 'Two Pizza Rule' For Productive Meetings | Business Insider) http://doodle.com/ (Doodle) http://www.inc.com/aviv-grill/playbook-effective-meetings.html (Aviv Grill on Effective Meetings | Inc.com) http://www.scheduleonce.com/ (ScheduleOnce) https://calendly.com/ (Calendly) http://productivityist.com/the-one-meeting/ (The One Productive Weekly Meeting You're Not Having (But Should) | Productivityist) http://productivityist.com/author/lee-garrett/ (Lee Garrett, Author at Productivityist) http://www.soliamsays.com/ (SoliamSays.com) https://twitter.com/soliamsays (Lee Garrett (@soliamsays) | Twitter) Want to send us an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email us at [info@productivityist.com][8] and we'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! http://patreon.com/productivityist (Click here) to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025!Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfutureBrett Terpstra is one of the smartest guys on the Internet, and in this episode, Mike and Brett talk about work habits, workflows, and how moods and modes each help them deliver their work on a consistent basis. Relevant Links http://brettterpstra.com/ (Brett's Website: BrettTerpstra.com) http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html (Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule | Paul Graham) http://amzn.to/1EWP4ck (Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/77516971/the-week-dominator-a-beautiful-canvas-to-tackle-go (The Week Dominator | NeuYear) http://www.relay.fm/penaddict/140 (The Pen Addict #140: All Follow Up Extravaganza) http://twitter.com/ttscoff (Brett Terpstra on Twitter) Want to send Mike an app, book, or something similar to discuss on the show? Email him at [info@productivityist.com][8] and he'll give it a look. Want to listen on Stitcher? http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=53149&refid=stpr (Click here.) Support The Productivityist Podcast by becoming a patron! [Click here][9] to visit The Productivityist Podcast's Patreon page and see what perks await those who pitch in a buck or more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive PotentialIf you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.