A Productive Conversation

Erik Fisher Talks About Navigating Productivity, Avoiding Burnout, and Podcast Evolution


Listen Later

This episode is brought to you by Your Clockwise Week—a personalized weekly structure built around your actual life, not an ideal one. If your week feels full but not fitting, you can learn more at mikevardy.com/yourclockwiseweek.


My guest for this episode, Erik Fisher, is the voice behind the "Beyond the To-Do List" – a podcast that has been going strong since 2012. Erik and I delve into the adventure of keeping a podcast rolling consistently, witnessing the shifts in productivity dialogues, and our ambitions to include topics like generative AI in our future conversations.

We talk about podcasting, productivity nuances, and finding a sweet balance between work and personal life. Whether you're a podcast lover or someone seeking productivity wisdom, this episode has something for everyone. Enjoy!

Key Discussion Points

  1. Maintaining Podcast Consistency: Erik reflects on delivering over 500 episodes and the learning curve involved in keeping the podcast fresh and engaging for the past decade.
  2. Beyond Productivity: We ponder on the evolving significance of "Beyond the To-Do List", transforming from a straightforward productivity show to a platform discussing broader life and work themes.
  3. Adapting to Change: Together, we envisage widening the scope of our productivity discussions, aiming to incorporate new perspectives and insights into the ever-changing productivity landscape.
  4. Burnout... Quality vs. Quantity: A deep-dive into the constant battle between maintaining quality and chasing quantity, and the inevitable risk of burnout when the scales tip.
  5. Parenting and Work-Life Balance: Parenting brings its own set of challenges and rewards. We share personal anecdotes about juggling parental responsibilities while navigating through a sea of endless tasks and commitments.
  6. Expanding Podcast Horizons: Erik shares thoughts on potential expansion plans for his podcast, considering additional features like newsletters and community engagement to enhance the listener experience.


    As you reflect on our dialogue during this episode, ask yourself: How can you maintain consistency in your pursuits? Are you balancing the scales of quality and quantity effectively? And most crucially, how are you evolving in your understanding and approach towards productivity? Your journey towards a more productive and balanced life might just start with pondering these vital questions.

    Links Worth Exploring

    • Connect with Erik: Website | X (née Twitter)
    • Subscribe to Erik's Podcast: Spotify | Apple Podcasts
    • Erik co-wrote a book: Ready Aim Fire!: A Practical Guide to Setting And Achieving Goals
    • Related Conversation: Episode 113: Erik Fisher Returns!
    • Related Blog Post: How To Keep Doing It Right (More Often Than Not)

    • Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.

      Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.

      Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

      You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

      Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


      If this episode resonated, I’m exploring ideas like these more deeply in my upcoming book, Productiveness. You can follow along as it takes shape at mikevardy.com/productiveness.

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      A Productive ConversationBy Mike Vardy

      • 4.2
      • 4.2
      • 4.2
      • 4.2
      • 4.2

      4.2

      102 ratings


      More shows like A Productive Conversation

      View all
      Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

      Freakonomics Radio

      32,246 Listeners

      The Tim Ferriss Show by Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

      The Tim Ferriss Show

      16,174 Listeners

      The Art of Manliness by The Art of Manliness

      The Art of Manliness

      14,296 Listeners

      Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields / Acast

      Good Life Project

      3,375 Listeners

      How to Be Awesome at Your Job by How to be Awesome at Your Job

      How to Be Awesome at Your Job

      1,036 Listeners

      The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

      The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

      8,876 Listeners

      Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

      Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

      3,903 Listeners

      Everyday Better with Leah Smart by LinkedIn

      Everyday Better with Leah Smart

      355 Listeners

      anything goes with emma chamberlain by emma chamberlain

      anything goes with emma chamberlain

      62,601 Listeners

      The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos by Pushkin Industries

      The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

      14,324 Listeners

      Best Laid Plans by Sarah Hart-Unger

      Best Laid Plans

      821 Listeners

      Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

      Huberman Lab

      29,272 Listeners

      Jillian on Love by Jillian Turecki | Daylight Media

      Jillian on Love

      1,401 Listeners

      The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

      The Mel Robbins Podcast

      20,222 Listeners

      HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review

      HBR On Leadership

      170 Listeners