Focused

By RelayBusiness Careers

Focused episodes

February 02, 2021118: Tasks and Habits
Tasks are great but sometimes the wrong tool. Mike and David make the case that habits are underrated and can help you where projects can not.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Timing: The automatic time tracking app for macOS. Use this link to save 10% on your purchase.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Indeed: Get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post.
Links and Show Notes: Credits
The Hosts
Mike Schmitz
David Sparks
The Editor
Jim Metzendorf
The Fixer
Kerry Provanzano
Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. SA Granite Keycap Set — Kono Store Linking Your Thinking Workshop Obsidian Roam Research – A note taking tool for networked thought. Craft - Create Amazing Documents The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Wikipedia How to Win Friends and Influence People - Wikipedia Think and Grow Rich - Wikipedia Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg Habit Tracking: The Best Habit Apps For Your iPhone — The Sweet Setup
1 hr 43 min
January 19, 2021117: Roles & Goals
Goals are great, but they aren't enough. In this episode, David & Mike talk about how roles & goals work together and how the hats that you decide to wear are the real foundation of a solid personal productivity system.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FOCUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
TextExpander, from Smile: Recall your best words. Instantly, repeatedly. Get 20% off your first year.
Indeed: Get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post.
Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. The Big Ready Atomic Habits by James Clear | Amazon The Intentional Family podcast Personal Retreat Handbook Daily Questions in Roam Research Mike's Input Workflow diagram roam42 Mike's Roam Research Email KM Macro Star Wars Rebels | Disney+ SaneBox Why you should keep a journal and why I keep mine in Roam Research | YouTube How I Use Roam Research for Journaling | The Sweet Setup Readwise Webinar Replay: How I Use Mind Mapping to Take Book Notes | The Sweet Setup Building My Bullet-Journal-Based Hybrid Productivity System | The Sweet Setup Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster in Olympic White with Maple Fingerboard | Sweetwater
1 hr 33 min
January 05, 2021116: The Big Reset
Mike and David take on the new year in their own focused ways as they talk through a workflow for change.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Timing: The automatic time tracking app for macOS. Use this link to save 10% on your purchase.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Indeed: Get a free $75 credit to boost your job post.
Links and Show Notes:
Mike and David take on the new year in their own focused ways as they talk through a workflow for change.
Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. The FOCUSED Calendar | NeuYear.net Lockdown Productivity: Spaceship You | CGP Grey Weekend Wednesday | YouTube The Practice by Seth Godin | Amazon Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam | Amazon Cortex #110: 2021 Yearly Themes | Relay FM
1 hr 34 min
December 22, 2020115: Solving Interesting Problems, with Ernie Svenson
Ernie Svenson joins us to talk about how focus inspired his career change from lawyer to small firm consultant, the importance of getting help, and the value of journaling.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Woven: The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
Guest Starring:
Ernie Svenson
Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. The FOCUSED Calendar | NeuYear.net Mac Power Users #230: The Power of PDFs The Practice by Seth Godin | Amazon This is Marketing by Seth Godin | Amazon Focused #110: Focus with Michael Hyatt The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron | Amazon The War of Art by Steven Pressfield | Amazon Song Exploder: A Netflix Documentary Series Ernie The Attorney
1 hr 2 min
December 08, 2020114: Inputs and PKM Stacks
Inputs! We all have too many of them and not enough of us have a plan for them. In this episode, Mike and David talk about those pesky inputs and how to deal with them.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FOCUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Woven: The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. The FOCUSED Calendar – NeuYear.net Smart Water Bottle - HidrateSpark Bluetooth Water Bottle Mac Power Users #562: The First Apple Silicon Macs Focused #112: Productivity & Creativity - Relay FM Using Roam Research for GTD-Style Task Management – The Sweet Setup The Rise and Fall of Getting Things Done | The New Yorker Cortex #109: State of the Apps 2021 - Relay FM Brain Wash: Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking 106: Brain Wash by David & Austin Perlmutter – Bookworm The Practice: Ship creative work | Seth's Blog The Social Dilemma - Wikipedia Hyperfocus | A Life of Productivity
1 hr 29 min
November 24, 2020113: ADHD and Cognitive Science, with Brittany Smith
Brittany Smith is a cognitive scientist and very focused. She's also diagnosed with ADHD and she has a lot of wisdom to share in this week's episode.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Woven: The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
Guest Starring:
Brittany Smith
Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. The FOCUSED Calendar – NeuYear.net Devise & Conquer Productivity Coaching Brittany on Twitter Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey Tech Tips with Brittany - YouTube Focused #70: Digital Decluttering, with Shahid Kamal Ahmad - Relay FM Esington - Inspired Productivity Stop Procrastinating, Boost Productivity & Get Focused on Work - Focusmate Brain Wash Book Home | ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association CHADD - Improving the lives of people affected by ADHD ACO Home
1 hr 21 min
November 10, 2020112: Productivity & Creativity
David & Mike consider the relationship of productivity & creativity and how it shapes the work that they do. They dive into their personal knowledge management stacks and the tools they currently use, share some tips for tagging, and discuss where to draw the lines between tools for managing tasks and ideas.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FOCUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Woven: The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. The FOCUSED Calendar | NeuYear.net Personal Retreat Video | MacSparky Spark Guitar Amp | Positive Grid How I Play Guitar Live From My iPad | The Sweet Setup YDS-150 Digital Saxophone Readwise Using Roam Research for GTD-Style Task Management | The Sweet Setup Jason Fried: "Productivity is for machines, not for people." | Twitter MacPaint - Wikipedia Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon | Amazon Mac Power Users #559: Research Apps How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens | Amazon The state of personal knowledge management | Ness Labs The 4 Levels of Personal Knowledge Management | Forte Labs Mike's Sermon Sketchnotes Archive Setting up a Quotebook in Roam Research Daily Questions in Roam Research Cross-Reference Library in Roam Research Maker, Manager, Consumer | MacSparky
1 hr 16 min
October 27, 2020111: Environmental Focus, with Erik Fisher
Erik Fisher joins us to talk about internal and external distractions, setting up your environment for focused work, dealing with unexpected changes, and building self-awareness.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Teamistry: The stories of unsung teams who pioneered new ways of working to achieve the unexpected. Listen now.
Blinkist: Read 3000+ books in 15 minutes or fewer. Start your 7-day free trial.
Guest Starring:
Erik Fisher
Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership The FOCUSED Calendar | NeuYear.net Atomic Habits by James Clear | Amazon Beyond the To-Do List #347: Top 5 Personal Productivity Books Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg | Amazon Deep Work by Cal Newport | Amazon Focused #110: Focus with Michael Hyatt How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport | Amazon Brain.fm Full Focus Planner Shorter by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang | Amazon The War of Art by Steven Pressfield | Amazon Muse Headband Beyond the To-Do List | Erik's podcast @ErikJFisher | Twitter
1 hr 27 min
October 14, 2020110: Focus with Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt joins in to talk about staying focused, drift, scaling back on social media.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FOCUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Ahrefs: SEO Tools & Resources To Grow Your Search Traffic. Get a 7-day trial for just $7.
Guest Starring:
Michael Hyatt
Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System by Michael Hyatt Win at Work and Succeed at Life | Michael Hyatt Full Focus Store – Full Focus by Michael Hyatt and Co. Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want eBook: Hyatt, Michael, Harkavy, Daniel: Kindle Store LeaderBooks™ - Michael Hyatt's Book Club for Leaders The Vision Driven Leader - Michael Hyatt Stephen Covey - Wikipedia Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less eBook: Pang, Alex Soojung-Kim: Kindle Store Shorter: Work Better, Smarter, and LessHere's How eBook: Pang, Alex Soojung-Kim: Kindle Store
1 hr 19 min
September 29, 2020109: Email Workflows
David & Mike revisit the topic of email and discuss their current workflows. They share how and when they process email, what they use to do it, and the strategies they use to break free from their inboxes long enough to do some actual work.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
Ahrefs: SEO Tools & Resources To Grow Your Search Traffic. Get a 7-day trial for just $7.
Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership Relay FM for St. Jude 2020 Calm Inbox course | The Sweet Setup Focused #107: The Bullet Journal Method, with Ryder Carroll Focused #108: Pruning with Ian Byrd Maker, Manager, Consumer | MacSparky Mike's Hybrid BuJo System | The Sweet Setup Discbound Heirloom Journal | Ugmonk Keychron K8 Tenkeyless Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Drop + Invyr Holy Panda Mechanical Switches MT3 Extended 2048 Keycaps Mac Power Users #539: Back to Email The Best Email App for iPhone and iPad | The Sweet Setup MailSuite | SmallCubed SaneBox | Email Management for Any Inbox Email Lessons from Napoleon Bonaparte | The Sweet Setup Ralph Waldo Emerson: Napoleon or, The Man of the World Notion First Impressions: Thoughts After Two Weeks with Notion and our Content Calendar | The Sweet Setup Feedbin
1 hr 23 min

About Focused

From the publisher's feed

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…