Time and Attention

This week I interview Oliver Burkeman for the podcast. Oliver is the author of the fantastic new book, Four Thousand Weeks. In the episode, we have a fun, wide-ranging conversation about a bunch of topics, including: The idea of “finitude,” and why it matters; Our “future-chasing mindset,” which prevents us from enjoying things; How trying to achieve a perfect mastery over our time can make us miserable; Where impatience comes from; The usefulness of productivity advice; The costs of hoarding our time; ..and more. Four Thousand Weeks is an incredible read. It covers not just how we should manage our time, but also the place time management should have in our life in the first place. I highly recommend it. You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: My interview with Oliver Burkeman appeared first on Chris Bailey.

On this super tactical episode of the podcast, we chat about time management. Topics covered include: What time management is, and why it matters Becoming more aware of how you spend your time Scheduling time commitments around your energy levels The broader picture of time management The Pomodoro technique, and shrinking your “resistance level” Time blocking, and limiting distraction How many breaks to take throughout the day How to time breaks for optimal creativity How autonomy matters with time management Creating artificial deadlines Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: The purpose of time management appeared first on Chris Bailey.

On this episode, we chat about how slowing down can help us in work and life, without compromising our performance (if that’s something you care about). Topics covered include: How busy times make slowing down more important—but also lead to more guilt A new definition of the word “productivity” How slowing down helps us savor, experience more meaning, and also creates more opportunity for reflection How to fit slowing down into a busy scheduling, especially by minding the gaps in your day The productivity benefits of meditation The power of “scatterfocus” Links mentioned in this episode: Study: A wandering mind is an unhappy mind Study: Back to the future: Autobiographical planning and the functionality of mind-wandering You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: The productivity benefits of slowing down appeared first on Chris Bailey.

On this episode, we chat about stress relief strategies that have been proven to lower the level of stress hormones in our body. Topics covered include: How to think about the stress in your life from 10,000 feet The differences between chronic and acute stress Our body’s stress response How more stress is preventable than we think How stress can provide us with meaning The neurochemicals that underlie stress How stress relief is often an active process A bunch of stress-relief strategies that actually work Links mentioned in this episode: Book: The Upside of Stress Article: 9 stress relief strategies that actually work The World Health Organization’s definition of burnout You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Stress relief strategies that actually work appeared first on Chris Bailey.

On this episode, we chat about how to actually recharge while taking some time off. Topics covered include: How work can be meaningful—but also a pretty big source of chronic stress Identifying hidden sources of chronic stress in our live How vacations can make us more productive overall How stress both drives us to burnout, but also provides us with meaning How to find things to engage with, and things to savo How to best prepare for time off, to make the time even more rejuvenating Link mentioned in this episode: Study: A Record 768 Million U.S. Vacation Days Went Unused in ‘18, Opportunity Cost in the Billions   You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: How to take a proper vacation appeared first on Chris Bailey.

On this episode, we chat about how to more deliberately deal with email, to both think about it less, and make it a less stressful element of your day. Topics covered include: How much we should think about email in the first place How to conduct “email sprints” The two types of work that we all do How to better organize your email messages Creating different “email environments” The “Five-Sentence Rule” for answering email The intention-interpretation gap with communication How to take an email vacation How to shrink time on email through disconnected hours and pre-defined boundaries Creating the illusion of responsiveness Link mentioned in this episode: IBM Study: Am I wasting my time organizing email?   You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: Our favorite email habits appeared first on Chris Bailey.

On this episode, we chat about the importance of saying no to unimportant things. Topics covered include: Becoming more deliberate about saying no What we should be saying no to—in our work and personal lives Comparison tasks that put “saying no” in perspective The relative meaning and productivity of tasks Knowing the value of your time—and saying no to things accordingly The importance of people in productivity Thinking about what to say yes to You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: How to say no (and what to say no to) appeared first on Chris Bailey.

Topics include the lack of celebration for accomplishments, the Zeigarnik effect, the importance of closure, the Need for Closure scale, the Post-Portem ritual, favorite rewards for finishing tasks, celebration guilt, and timing for celebrations.

On this episode, we chat about obstacles that get in the way of our habits—including the habits we’re in the middle of forming, and the ones we already have. Topics covered include: The payoff of anticipating obstacles ahead of time Some common obstacles that get in our way How to identify the obstacles that’ll get in the way of our specific habits The types of obstacles we face: Environmental, time-based, temptations, and situational The five cues that trigger habits Minding our time, attention, and energy Links mentioned in this episode: Book: The Power of Habit My New Year’s Guidebook You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: The importance of anticipating obstacles appeared first on Chris Bailey.

On this episode, we count down our all-time favorite productivity habits—this week we cover numbers 5-1! Topics covered include: Keeping a “Waiting For” list—and what to capture on it How to organize the items you’re waiting on The importance of “scatterfocus” Where ideas come from—and where our mind wanders to How to recharge, generate ideas, and generate plans The three types of scatterfocus How to conduct a weekly review How to determine your most important tasks Understanding how much time tasks and projects take How to make a daily plan, while including the rule of 3 The ways meditation makes us more productive Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Hyperfocus Audible Original: How to Train Your Mind Focusmate You can listen (and subscribe) to the podcast below! The post Podcast: My favorite productivity habits (part 2) appeared first on Chris Bailey.