A Productive Conversation

PM Talks S1:E2: Choices


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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.


Welcome back to our monthly series, PM Talks, featuring a conversation with my good friend Patrick Rhone. In this latest episode, our conversation that spans from our shared podcasting passion and planner geekery to deeper explorations of contentment, choice, and the essence of enough. Patrick, with his unique insights and experiences, brings a fresh perspective to the familiar topics of goal setting and minimalism, while also touching on the deeply personal aspects of happiness and mental health.

Our discussion was wide-ranging, but one topic stood out prominently: Choices. This theme resonated throughout our conversation, highlighting the significant impact of intentional living and personal metrics on achieving genuine satisfaction in life.

Key Discussion Points

  • Setting and pursuing personal goals with a focus on minimalism and reducing unnecessary possessions.
  • The concept of "enough" and its relationship to happiness and contentment, drawing on insights from Daniel Kahneman on happiness.
  • The personal journey of writing meaningful books, both as gifts and as tools for understanding and responsibility.
  • The use of practical tools like a highlighter/post-it combo for organization, and how these small choices reflect deeper values and intentions.
  • Addressing mental health through self-care, understanding the power of choice, and managing emotions with intention.

  • In wrapping up, this conversation was a deeper dive into how we define and seek happiness in our lives. Patrick's approach to living intentionally, making mindful choices, and finding contentment in "enough" offers valuable lessons for all of us. Whether it's through the planners we obsess over, the goals we set, or the way we approach our mental health, the underlying message is clear: happiness is a personal journey, influenced by our choices and actions.

    Links Worth Exploring

    • A conversation between Adam Grant and Daniel Kahneman
    • The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
    • Post-it Flag+ Highlighter
    • The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
    • Inside of You: Alan Ritchson

    • 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. You can subscribe on Spotify and also on Apple Podcasts. Not using either of those to get your podcasts? Just click on this link and then 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.

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      A Productive ConversationBy Mike Vardy

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