Time and Attention

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 to measure your productivity appeared first on Chris Bailey.

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 Bogel. The post Podcast: Task Switching appeared first on Chris Bailey.

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 John Grisham Book: The Design of Everyday Things, by Don Norman Book: The Moment of Lift, by Melinda Gates Book: Everyday Vitality, by Samantha Boardman Book: Why We Love, by Helen Fisher Book: Other Minds, by Peter Godfrey-Smith Article: Makers Schedule, Manager’s Schedule, by Paul Graham You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Ways to plan your week appeared first on Chris Bailey.

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 post Podcast: Thoughtful Productivity appeared first on Chris Bailey.

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.

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 how long your work breaks should be Article: DeskTime’s productivity research: an overview of our finds throughout the years Focusmate Wikipedia: Pomodoro Technique Article: 9 stress relief strategies that actually work You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: How to take an intentional work break appeared first on Chris Bailey.

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.

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.

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! The post Podcast: Exploring time blocking appeared first on Chris Bailey.

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 subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: How to define productivity appeared first on Chris Bailey.