
Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life
Conversations with productivity experts, authors, and creatives on how to implement productivity strategies in both your professional and personal life. The goal as you listen is to help you gain perspective, practical knowledge, and productivity insights for living a whole life that goes Beyond The To-Do List.
Latest episodes

Aug 14, 2013 • 49min
Jeff Goins on Waiting, Calling, Creativity and ‘The In-Between’
Jeff Goins is a writer, and a second time guest of the show. You can find listen to his first appearance almost a year ago here. His new book The In-Between is just out, and I am especially excited to talk to Jeff about how the subject of waiting impacts productivity. Jeff will be speaking at Jon Acuff’s upcoming Start Conference, which I will also be attending, so grab your tickets now!Covered in this episode:3 things Jeff needs to do every week:
Something to build my brand
Something to build my craft
Something to build my business
Click to Tweet-worthy Quotes:The best things in life, and in work, require slow steady deliberate practice. - @JeffGoinsClick To TweetWhat if being productive wasn’t about doing a lot of things, but doing a few things well? - @JeffGoinsClick To TweetWhat if creativity is more about showing up, than being a genius on the spot? - @JeffGoinsClick To TweetIt’s a discipline to believe if the idea is good enough, it will come back to you again. - @JeffGoinsClick To TweetIt’s a great thing to begin your day doing the thing that you love the most. - @JeffGoinsClick To Tweet
Time spent on something that doesn’t end up being your life’s work isn’t wasted. It’s time preparing. - @JeffGoinsClick To TweetGrab Jeff’s new book ‘The In-Between‘ now!
Get notified of the next Tribe Writers Class
Tweet Jeff and let him know you appreciated this episode.
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Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 12, 2013 • 47min
Daniel and Vanessa Hayes on Routines, Priorities, and Simplicity
Dan and Vanessa Hayes of SimpleLifeTogether.com join us this week to talk about lifestyle design. We touch on routines, priorities, simplicity and other topics.Sponsor: get an intranet you’ll actually enjoy with your teammates from Igloo.Dan provides business development consultation for select business owners/leaders in niche markets by helping them build an integrated approach to enhancing their company’s web presence, customer/community engagement, content development, search engine optimization (SEO), media platforms, and branded videos.Vanessa is a Professional Organizer and the Chief Simplicity Officer of Get Simplifized! She provides hands-on professional organizing services for residential and business clients, and also is available for virtual consulting, as well.Together, they co-host Simple Life Together, a podcast dedicated to leading a simple life in the modern world. The show is routinely listed in”What’s Hot” in 5 categories of iTunes. Make sure to check out the Simple Life Together site and podcast, and let Daniel and Vanessa know how much you appreciated their appearance on this episode.Write a review in iTunesPlease connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2013 • 37min
Justin Wise on Slump Recovery, Inbox Zero and ADHD
Justin Wise is content marketing practitioner living in Des Moines. He helps people and organizations tell their stories online. He started the podcast #THINKDIGITAL. It’s a fun way to talk about new media and play lots of 90s rap.Covered in this episode:
Knowledge Worker Productivity
Juicing
How Having ADHD Actually Increased My Productivity
Productivity recovery
Power nap
Take a walk
To do lists
Inbox Zero
Beyond the To-Do List interview with Merlin Mann, creator of Inbox Zero
#THINKDIGITAL Podcast
Get an email response from anyone
Five email mistakes you’re making
The most important part is finding that uninterrupted block to do the things that matter. - @JustinWiseClick To TweetMake sure to follow and tweet at Justin on Twitter to let him know how much you appreciated this episode.Write a review in iTunesPlease connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 3, 2013 • 30min
Jocelyn Glei on Creative Work, Progress and Managing Your Day-to-Day
Jocelyn K. Glei is the Editor-in-Chief of 99U.com, Behance’s effort to provide the “missing curriculum” for making ideas happen. 99U has won two Webby Awards for “Best Cultural Blog”. Jocelyn is also the Exec Producer of the 99U Conference, and Editor of 99U’s latest book Manage Your Day-to-Day which will give you a toolkit for tackling the new challenges of a 24/7, always-on workplace.Manage Your Day-to-Day will show you how to:
Stop letting other people (and incoming messages!) dictate your daily to-do list.
Fend off constant interruption and carve out a sacred space for “getting into the zone”.
Conquer information overload and break your addiction to obsessively checking your phone or email.
Let go of the idea of “inbox zero” and optimize the time you spend on email and social media.
Find the right balance of working productively and recharging to keep your energy high.
Hotwire your brain for a-ha moments and push through creative blocks.
Make sure to grab the book here.Write a review in iTunesPlease connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 28, 2013 • 40min
Robert D. Smith on Motivation, Defeating Fear, and Doing the Work
Robert D. Smith has managed and overseen the career of Andy Andrews, a three-time New York Times best-selling author and in-demand speaker. He has served as a private consultant to numerous best-selling authors, speakers, entertainers, and cutting edge organizations, educating them on the unique methods he has employed to sustain massive success and growth across multiple industries for his entire career. Robert is the author of 20,000 Days and Counting: The Crash Course for Mastering Life Right Now, a simple guide to injecting meaning into every second you live for the rest of your life.Covered in this episode:
Eat dessert first!
The myth of motivation
The easy way to stop feeling overwhelmed
Two questions that replace any to-do list: “What’s important NOW?” “What’s NEXT?”
Eating No’s for Breakfast
Defeating Fear
Inoculation to Rejection
Andy Andrews – The Traveller’s Gift
Make sure to grab Robert’s book!
Click to tweet these quotes:We don’t sing because we’re happy, we are happy because we sing! - @TheRobertDClick To TweetEmotions will follow your actions. - @TheRobertDClick To TweetEverybody was a nobody until they started doing SOMETHING. - @TheRobertDClick To TweetTweet Robert D. and myself to let us know how this episode has helped you:
Robert D. Smith
Erik Fisher
Write a review in iTunes
Please connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 21, 2013 • 54min
John Lee Dumas on Batching, Launching, and High Volume Content Creation
John Lee Dumas, creator of the highly successful podcast Entrepreneur on Fire, shares insights from his journey of inspiring entrepreneurs daily. He discusses the powerful impact of storytelling in podcasts and the importance of networking within the podcasting community. Dumas emphasizes the efficiency gained from strategic scheduling and batching tasks, as well as explores the evolution of media events like New Media Expo. He reflects on early podcasting experiences, community-building, and the dynamics of listener engagement, offering valuable tips for aspiring podcasters.

May 14, 2013 • 1h 34min
Merlin Mann on Getting Things Done, Opportunity Cost and Sunk Cost Fallacy
Merlin Mann is an Independent Writer, Speaker, and Broadcaster at MerlinMann.com and Cohost of Back to Work Podcast on the 5 by 5 Podcast Network with Dan Benjamin.Transcript of this episode provided by Rev Audio Transcription and Document TranslationCovered in this episode:
Different definitions of the word ‘productivity’
Merlin’s superhero origin story as a productivity student
The creation of 43Folders, the transition from then to today
Getting Things Done by David Allen ©DavidCo, 2001.
GTD Series on B2W: #95 – #96 – #97 – #98 – #99
Erik’s call in question on Back to Work episode #100 – Go Ahead, Caller.
Merlin’s interview with David Allen
Erik’s interview with David Allen
What Inbox Zero started as, and what it really means
Chasing the right zero
Merlin’s Inbox Zero talk at Google
Moving items in our Inbox(s) from unknown to undefined to incomplete to complete
Opportunity cost
Sunk cost fallacy
The real prologue to how Back to Work began
Sven Fechner at SimplicityBliss.com
Brett Terpstra
Practically efficient
Mac Power Users Podcast
Macdrifter.com
Tweetable Quotes (Click to Tweet):
We allow so many things into our lives that we have an uncertain relationship with.Click To TweetYou must always accept that everything you agree to do means there’s other things you can’t do.Click To TweetIf I haven’t decided what always trumps everything else, I don’t have clarity on what I care about.Click To TweetWrite a review in iTunes
Please connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 9, 2013 • 58min
Mike Vardy on Doing Less Productivity and Being More Productive
Mike Vardy is a writer, speaker and podcaster on productivity. His main site is Productivityist.com. He’s given talks on productivity and technology, as well as several featured keynotes and workshops related to time, task, project, and goal management.Covered in this episode:
Productivityist = a person who wants to get more efficient and more effective with their work
Working on ways to get better work done
How do you determine the need for a new tool, how do you test a tool
A More Meaningful To Do List – The Omnifocus Setup
Projects first, tasks second
Projects vs. tasks
Jon Acuff – START
Green Lantern – Willpower vs. Fear
Chris Brogan You Are Your Own Superhero
Getting Things Done by David Allen
The Best Upgrade Is You by Patrick Rhone
Low energy productivity
The Front Nine
Mike’s on Mic’s
Stop doing productivity and start being productive. - @MikeVardyClick To Tweet
Have to do’s are fine, but you also need to have want to do’s. - @MikeVardyClick To TweetPlease connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 1, 2013 • 1h 2min
Bryan Allain on the What, Why, and How of Building Tribes and Pursuing Your Dream
Bryan Allain is a blog coach, author, humor writer and mammal. He also created and organized the Killer Tribes conferences in Nashville in 2012 and Atlanta in 2013, where people learn to find their voice, share their passions, connect with others, and grow their brand.He lives with his wife, Erica, and their two children in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Covered and mentioned in this episode:
Caedmon’s Call
Derek Webb
Don Miller
Ben Arment Dream Year program
Jon Acuff
Killer Tribes
A tribe doesn’t necessarily involve a pedestal. - @BryanAllainClick To TweetThe chief of the tribe is still part of the tribe. - @BryanAllainClick To TweetTribes (and especially wives!) make you brave.Click To TweetCommunities aren’t formed by formulas. - @BryanAllainClick To TweetFinding time often means hustling in the margins. - @BryanAllainClick To TweetJust because you have more time doesn’t mean you automatically end up more productive. - @BryanAllainClick To TweetGet the Killer Tribes 2013 Audio!Don’t forget a number of the Killer Tribes 2012 or 2013 speakers have been guests on this podcast!Make sure to grab all of Bryan’s books!
31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo
Community Wins: 21 Thoughts on Building a Thriving Online Tribe
This Is Not A Treasure Map
Actually Clams Are Miserable
Don’t forget the homework for this episode: Leave a comment below about what tribes you are a part of, and which members of your tribe you are thankful for.Tweet at Bryan and I on Twitter to let us know what you got from this episode, and start interacting in our tribes.Please connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 25, 2013 • 46min
Crystal Paine on Stewardship, Goals, and Discipline
Crystal Paine created MoneySavingMom.com in order to showcase ebooks, workbooks, seminars, and other materials challenge people to live beyond the status quo. The site is a huge resource for anyone who wants to thrive in life, business, and home, and time management.Covered in this episode:
Crystal’s Book: 21 Days to a More Disciplned Life
Andy Traub’s Early To Rise book – Why have you not grabbed this yet?
Investing in yourself
You have to know where your going in order to get there
Moms need to set goals too
Stress is a choice
You can’t overhaul your life overnight. Pick one change to focus on for 3-6 weeks. - @MoneySavingMomClick To TweetDiscipline begets discipline. - @MoneySavingMomClick To TweetAny success I’ve had in my life is the result of standing on a huge pile of failure. - @MoneySavingMomClick To TweetMake sure to tweet Crystal @MoneySavingMom to let her know you appreciated this episode!Please connect with me
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Follow @ErikJFisher
Check out more Noodle.mx Network shows
The Audacity to Podcast: "How-to" podcast about podcasting
Beyond the To-Do List: Personal and professional productivity
The Productive Woman: Productivity for busy women
ONCE: Once Upon a Time podcast
Welcome to Level Seven: Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s cinematic universe podcast
Are You Just Watching?: Movie reviews with Christian critical thinking
the Ramen Noodle: Family-friendly clean comedy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices