David Sparks and Mike Schmitz are not nearly as productive as they’d like to be. Join these fellow travelers (and a bunch of special guests) as they share the best ways to get focused, and talk through their successes and failures along the way.

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David Sparks

MacSparky.com

Mike Schmitz

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    Latest Episodes

    #165: On the River, with Chris Upchurch

    November 22nd, 2022 · 78 minutes

    Chris Upchurch joins us to talk about his recent career change from metropolitan transportation planner to whitewater rafting guide.

    #164: Mind Mapping

    November 8th, 2022 · 70 minutes

    David & Mike consider the focus benefits of mind mapping and discuss the tools and methods they use to think beyond the outline.

    #163: The Laws of Creativity, with Joey Cofone

    October 25th, 2022 · 61 minutes

    Baron Fig CEO Joey Cofone joins us to talk about creativity, embracing constraints, and finding your own way.

    #162: Perfectionism

    October 11th, 2022 · 64 minutes

    David & Mike discuss perfectionism, procrastination, and overcoming the urge to get everything just right.

    #161: Stolen Focus, with Jean MacDonald

    September 27th, 2022 · 82 minutes

    Jean MacDonald joins us to talk about social media, the M.E.O.W. system, and reading books.

    #160: Balancing Calendars and Tasks

    September 13th, 2022 · 78 minutes

    David & Mike compare calendars and task lists, the jobs to be done by each, and the resistance that will inevitably appear in your quest to get things done.

    #159: The Art of Note-Taking

    August 30th, 2022 · 67 minutes

    David & Mike consider note-taking and its role in the creative process.

    #158: Humans First, with Rob Krecak

    August 16th, 2022 · 83 minutes

    Rob Krecak joins us to talk about the psychology behind email, the importance of communication norms, and tips from his experiences helping organizations move to a 4-day work week.

    #157: Non-Traditional Measures of Productivity, with Mike Vardy

    August 2nd, 2022 · 89 minutes

    Mike Vardy is back to talk about the rhythm of work and why some people feel "productivity" is becoming a dirty word.

    #156: The State of GTD

    July 19th, 2022 · 87 minutes

    Inspired by a Cal Newport article on Getting Things Done, David & Mike go through an audit of the (in)famous productivity system.