Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Join Paul Kirby, an accomplished artist and engineer, as he explores how to blend passions into a compelling life vision. Discover his FUSE framework—Find, Upgrade, Start, Evolve—designed to guide your journey towards fulfillment. Paul emphasizes the power of internal motivation and shares a unique journaling exercise to uncover your core interests. With inspiring anecdotes, he illustrates how embracing your unique path can lead to a more meaningful existence, perfect for anyone feeling lost or unfulfilled in their pursuits.

Zorana Pringle, a leading researcher in creativity psychology and author of The Creativity Choice, shares insights on how creativity is a series of conscious decisions rather than mere inspiration. She challenges the myth of the 'creative type', emphasizing that everyone can be creative across various domains. Zorana discusses how constraints can actually boost creativity, the significance of risk tolerance, and the interplay between motivation and attention. By understanding problem finding versus problem solving, she reveals how reframing challenges can unlock our creative potential.

Discover the transformative power of simple daily habits that build momentum and confidence. Jeffrey and Jamie Downs reveal how small, consistent actions can lead to long-term identity shifts. They discuss the importance of patience and how each completed action boosts self-credibility. The 'Cal Ripken Effect' highlights how consistency becomes inspiring, fueling further motivation. Even minor commitments like a one-mile walk contribute to your personal streak. This conversation offers a refreshing perspective on sustaining momentum for your goals.

James Kimmel, author of The Science of Revenge, joins the show to unpack one of the most overlooked forms of distraction and emotional hijacking: revenge. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and decades of legal and public health research, James reveals how revenge isn’t just an emotional reaction—it’s an addictive cycle that can derail our focus, well-being, and relationships. If you’ve ever ruminated about a workplace slight, stewed in a sense of injustice, or mentally put someone “on trial,” this episode offers a powerful, science-backed path forward.In this episode, we cover:What Makes Revenge So Addictive: How grievances activate the same reward centers in the brain as drugs, gambling, and other addictive behaviors.Revenge as a Productivity Killer: Why revenge always focuses on the past—and how it hijacks our mental and emotional bandwidth in the present.The Courtroom in Your Head: James explains the mental trial many of us run daily, casting ourselves in all the roles—prosecutor, judge, jury, and warden.Grievance vs. Reality: The neuroscience behind how imagined slights are often just as powerful as real ones.Workplace Revenge Culture: How toxic tit-for-tat behavior spreads through teams and how leaders can disrupt it before it takes root.Rewiring the Feedback Loop: How revenge follows the same cue-craving-reward cycle as other habits—and how to break it.The Science of Forgiveness: Why forgiveness isn’t “soft,” but rather a neurological off-ramp from pain and rumination that reactivates the decision-making part of the brain.The Wonder Drug in Your Brain: How practicing internal forgiveness shuts down pain networks and reduces stress, anxiety, and cortisol levels.Practical Tools for Release: James shares how his free app helps users safely process their grievances through guided mental courtroom exercises.Healing as Productivity: Why letting go doesn’t just make you feel better—it frees up your energy for purpose-driven work and emotional clarity.Connect with James and his work at jameskimmel.com and find The Science of Revenge wherever books are sold.Connect with Erik:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This Podcast is Powered By:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript 101⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castmagic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ecamm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rodecaster Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Top Productivity Books List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Make sure to grab Shortcasts from Beyond The To-Do List by Blinkist. A Shortcast is a 7-10 min version of a podcast where you get the core takeaways. Make sure to support the show by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ checking out the sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Eliana Goldstein, a career coach who helps professionals align their work with their strengths, dives into navigating career clarity and overcoming burnout. She emphasizes that feeling drained isn’t just about workload but misalignment with personal values. Eliana shares foundational questions for assessing fulfillment and warns against chasing passion blindly. She introduces the 70/30 rule for job satisfaction, highlights the importance of mindset in job searching, and presents her 4-Part Framework for intentional career transitions.

In this Shortcast edition, John Jantsch, author of The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur, draws wisdom from great American writers like Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, and William Wells Brown to explore three essential traits for thriving in life and business: perseverance, perspective, and resilience. Rather than chasing productivity hacks, John invites us to dig deeper—into reflection, discomfort, and slow growth.In this Shortcast, we explore:Perseverance Through Practice: Inspired by Thoreau, John explains why repeated effort—like walking a mountain trail—is not wasted energy but the very process that builds mastery and meaning.The Danger of Indestructible Contentment: Borrowing from Twain, John challenges the idea of being too comfortable, encouraging us to embrace discomfort as a path to perspective and growth.Redefining Resilience: With a reading from William Wells Brown, John reframes procrastination not as laziness, but as strategic patience born of experience—knowing when to act, and when to wait.Growth Beyond Hustle: John reminds us that true self-reliance isn’t about grinding harder—it’s about trusting yourself, honoring the process, and staying open to what life is teaching you through repetition and challenge.This episode is a refreshing reset—a deeper look at what it really takes to keep going, stay grounded, and lead with presence.Find more ⁠Shortcasts like this one on Blinkist here⁠. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kendall Berg, career coach and author of "Secrets of the Career Game," dives into the unwritten rules of workplace success. She shares her transformation from a sidelined employee to a five-time promoter, emphasizing the importance of soft skills and self-advocacy. Discover how to navigate the invisible aspects of career advancement, and learn the difference between promotable and non-promotable work. Kendall offers practical tips for showcasing your value and building strategic relationships, proving that mastering the 'career game' is essential for growth.

Camilla Kring, author of "Chronoleadership: How to Create Healthier and More Productive Rhythms in Your Work and Life," discusses the impact of biological rhythms on productivity and well-being. She highlights the importance of aligning work schedules with individual chronotypes to foster inclusivity in the workplace. Camilla challenges the myth of the early bird by advocating for flexible work cultures that respect diverse energy patterns. She also touches on how these principles can improve parenting and education by honoring natural rhythms.

In this insightful discussion, Jonathan Levi, author of The Only Skill That Matters, shares revolutionary techniques to enhance memory and learning. He debunks the myth of having a 'bad memory,' emphasizing it's about using the right strategies. Listeners will discover the power of visual mnemonics for effortless recall and learn about speed reading techniques that can boost reading rates dramatically. Jonathan also introduces the Memory Palace technique, a method grounded in history, to elevate information retention and organization.

Mamie Kanfer Stewart, co-author of *Momentum* and an expert in optimizing meetings, shares her insights on transforming workplace gatherings into productive powerhouses. She emphasizes starting with the desired outcome instead of just the purpose of the meeting. Mamie discusses when alternatives to meetings are more effective, like using email or asynchronous comments. She also addresses the pitfalls of over-inviting attendees and encourages reshaping meetings as collaborative work rather than interruptions, making time spent together meaningful.