“It was always in the back of my mind: what am I going to do for dinner? … Having what I’m going to cook sorted out releases my mental energy.”Brigitte Gemme is a researcher by training. She has a PhD in sociology and she worked at the intersection of government, universities, and industry, particularly on the topic of natural resource management in Canada. These days, however, Brigitte does something completely different: she offers a vegan meal-planning service. I met Brigitte a few years ago when she and I were both starting our online businesses. I wanted to chat and catch up with her because she left her research career and has such a different life now, running a small online business. It was particularly interesting to me because Brigitte’s work involves vegan food and I am vegan myself.Brigitte and I discuss:What working in research and in a large organization was likeHow you can optimize your cooking and nutrition with project-management skillsWhy you should consider a plant-based dietAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Brigitte:VeganFamilyKitchen.comBrigitte’s 5-day Planned and Plant-Based ChallengeBrigitte’s meal plans, which I use and love Vegan Family Kitchen on InstagramAlso mentioned: NutritionFacts.org

“It doesn’t have to be perfect consistency. It doesn’t have to be every single day. If you intended to work out five days this week, but you only got two… you’re still exercising.”Dave Ceddia is a user interface developer. He builds UIs with React, a Javascript library, and he also teaches people how to use React in a book and a course, both called Pure React.Lately, Dave has been working on a new project called Recut. If you’ve ever edited video, you might have had to spend quite some time editing out silent portions of your recording. Recut automatically cuts the silence out of your videos. It’s a nifty app and you should check it out if you often edit videos.Dave and I discuss:Being productive in bursts, aka “seasons of productivity”Why iOS and macOS apps tend to be higher quality than apps in other ecosystemsHow he uses Things 3 to manage the development work for his app RecutAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Dave:DaveCeddia.comRecut, an app for removing silence from videosDave’s 101-second video demonstrating how Recut worksDave’s React book and course, Pure ReactAlso mentioned:The Day One journaling appSteph Crowder’s website Courage & ClarityCal Newport’s Time Block Planner

Janelle Allen helps business owners optimize their marketing strategy. For example, she recently worked with Crowdcast, a webinar platform, and if you check out Crowdcast’s website today, you’ll see that it’s so clear compared with what it used to be like.Janelle also teaches small groups of primarily service-based business owners to create and market online courses. With a background in writing as well as in instructional design, you can see why she’s good at what she does.Some time ago, I worked with Janelle to improve my business’s marketing funnel. She helped me to clarify my strategy and to identify gaps that I couldn’t have spotted myself. She’s full of good ideas, so I was excited when she agreed to come on to the show.Janelle and I discuss:How she translates her vision into action using the “VTO” approach, in NotionThe importance of having a mission for pushing through any resistance you might feel to your workWhy you shouldn’t use a coach as your therapistAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Janelle:JanelleAllen.comJanelle’s newsletterJanelle on YouTubeJanelle on TwitterJanelle on InstagramAlso mentioned:Traction by Gino WickmanThe information management app NotionThe Color of Law by Richard RothsteinThe video messaging app Loom

“Email is like trying to save money, but every day walking through the mall.”Jesse Mecham is the founder of You Need a Budget, or YNAB, an app that helps you gain control of your money. Until just a few weeks ago, Jesse was also the CEO of YNAB, a company with more than a hundred employees. He has also written a book and he hosts a podcast, both of which are also titled You Need a Budget. Oh, and did I mention that Jesse has seven kids?I was keen to speak with Jesse not only because I used YNAB for years and heartily recommend it, but also because Jesse has a very thoughtful approach to his productivity. There’s a lot of parallels between budgeting and task management and we really get into that in this episode.Jesse and I discuss:How adding structure can help you feel free (when it comes to budgeting as well as to time management)Creating a work culture that emphasizes outcomes rather than “butts in seats”How Jesse used Things 3 to support the writing of his bookAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Jesse and YNAB:Try YNAB for free for 34 days (no credit card required)You Need a Budget podcastJesse’s book, You Need a BudgetYNAB on TikTokYNAB on TwitterAlso mentioned:Cal Newport’s Deep WorkNassim Taleb’s Antifragile

Today, I’m telling you my story.Many people have asked me to share my story and to explain how I work and why I do the things the way I do. So this is a solo episode, just me telling you about my life over the past nine years.Some topics I cover:What working as an economic/litigation consultant for a top firm was likeHow I burned out and what burnout did to meThe symptoms of burnout and which ones I suffered fromMy “wantrepreneuring” journeyA few failed online businesses I tried to startHow my business finally got off the ground and now pays my billsWhat I still struggle with todayHow you can use my story to reflect on your own productivityThings I mentioned:Free mini-course: Choosing the Right Task Manager for YouMy course Get Stuff Done with OmniFocus 3My course Organize Your Life with Things 3Sign up for my newsletter: peterakkies.net

“If you only have two hours a day and you need to get paid, is posting to Instagram Stories really gonna put money in your bank account?”Graham Cochrane is an entrepreneur, podcaster, YouTuber, and business coach. In 2009, after getting laid off twice in one year, he started to teach people how to record professional-sounding music from home. That business, the Recording Revolution, took off and today the Recording Revolution YouTube channel has 600,000 subscribers.Teaching people online transformed Graham’s life. So, a few years, ago he decided to teach others how to follow his path. For this second business, Graham runs a YouTube channel as well as a podcast, The Graham Cochrane Show. I’m a big fan of Graham’s podcast and you should check that out even if you’re not super into online business—he often shares fantastic productivity techniques.Graham and I discuss:Eliminating tasks for which you can’t prove that they matterWhat to do if you want to work less (but are worried about what might happen if you do)Why you should think like an entrepreneur (even if you work in corporate)Why Graham believes in time blocking and how he uses that techniqueAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Graham:GrahamCochrane.comGraham’s podcast, The Graham Cochrane ShowGraham’s business on recording music at home: the Recording Revolution@thegrahamcochrane on InstagramAlso mentioned: Tim Ferriss’s bestselling book, The 4-Hour Workweek

“If I have something on my calendar that I’m dreading, I have to be really careful about it. If I let myself get obsessed with the fact that I don’t want to do it, then it can throw off my entire day.”Corbett Barr has been self-employed on the Internet since 2005, earning a living from blogging, podcasting, online courses, software services, and more. He is perhaps best known for being the founder and CEO of Fizzle, a community and library of courses for independent entrepreneurs who want to make a living online. I first got in touch with Corbett back in 2016 or 2017, when I joined Fizzle. I learned much of what I know about running an online business from him. Corbett has such a wide variety of skills. He’s been a corporate consultant, he has founded several businesses, and he also does a lot of creative work, having written over 500 blog posts and published more than 400 podcast episodes. So I was very excited to ask him about his approach to productivity.Corbett and I discuss:Digital minimalism (or at least digital mindfulness) and why he’s been cleaning up his online presenceWhy you need a “North Star” to measure your productivityHow to do creative work (as opposed to cranking widgets)Operating within the constraints that you have but also challenging those constraintsAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Corbett:CorbettBarr.comFizzle.coCorbett’s blog post, “I’m Starting Over”

“If I would have heard me ten years ago, I would have been like… that lady is on something. Like, you cannot get things done like that. And yet, I accomplish so much more now.”Jessica Eley is a mindset coach for high-achievers. She helps them reach their big goals without feeling shitty in the process. Wondering what a mindset coach is? You might hire a fitness coach to help you improve your physical fitness. In the same way, you hire a mindset coach to improve your mental fitness.I’m particularly excited to share this conversation with you because Jessica has coached me on and off over the years and still does from time to time. She was instrumental in helping me get my business off the ground as I was recovering from burnout. I’ve learned so much from her and I know you will too.Jessica and I discuss:Whether setting goals is at all necessaryWhy you’ll always feel shitty if you don’t know WHY you want thingsWhy clarity comes from taking action (and not from ever-more planning)And much more. Enjoy the show!Find Jessica:JessicaEley.comOther podcasts she’s been on (scroll down the page)Jessica’s blogJessica on Instagram: @iamjesseley

“I’d rather be really working when I’m working and really be with my kid when I’m with my kid.”Marina Díaz is a psychologist and online course creator. Her courses cover a variety of topics: one is a therapeutic writing course based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Another teaches how to build an effective morning routine—something we discuss in our conversation as well—and a third course is about planning your days with a bullet journal. On top of that, Marina runs a monthly membership that includes group coaching calls as well as a physical magazine that she produces. Phew! But that’s not all. Together with her husband, Marina runs the journaling app Perspectiva, which is designed to help you build the habit of journaling. And she does all this while being the parent of a two-year old—which we get into during the show.Marina and I discuss:Building a morning routine you loveHow to get your important work done early in the dayHow to be productive with a toddler aroundAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Marina:Her website: Psico Supervivencia (in Spanish)Her and her husband’s journaling tool: PerspectivaResources mentioned:Twist, a collaboration appUltraworking, remote co-workingThe book Make Time

Today I’m speaking with Steve Pavlina. Steve is one of the world’s most successful personal development bloggers. To date, he has had over 100 million visits to his website. Steve has also written more than 1,700 articles on a range of personal growth topics, including productivity. He offers several courses—one of which we discuss in the episode—and he’s the author of the book Personal Development for Smart People, which has been translated into more than a dozen languages.Steve and I discuss:the relationship we have with our workhow FOMO can help you complete 30-day challengesthe role your heart plays in productivityAnd much more. Enjoy the show!Find Steve:Steve’s now-very-fast website, StevePavlina.comSteve’s course on character-building, StatureWatch: Steve’s water fasting videos on YouTube