The Productivity Lab

Productivity Lab is going on hiatus. Kyle and Mark are taking a much needed break for some rest, relaxation, and to focus on other life projects. As with all, things can get very hectic, so you have to remember when to take some time away for yourself. Productivity isn’t about how much you can do—it’s about how you’re being intentional with your time.

We’ll be gone for a few weeks, but if you miss us, you can always replay a few past episodes to check out a challenge or a book you’ve been thinking about. Or you can take this as your own productivity signal and slow down. Enjoy a book, a walk in the park, some coffee or tea. Enjoy the process and not the outcome.

Until next time, stay productive.

-MarkP.S. Illustration by Mark (@askmarkio)

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Mark’s fortnightly newsletter: The [Input|Output]’s of Mark* Kyle’s personal website: quadrantnine.net* Kyle’s fortnightly newsletter: Dispatches from Quadrant Nine* Kyle’s Instagram & Twitter

Credits

Logo & BrandingDesign for The Productivity Lab is provided by Adam Dodson DesignsMusic“Getting it Done” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Do you like journals? You know we do! In this episode, we will be taking a look at the Theme System Journal from Cortex. We talk about themes, so how does this work? Dive into this episode to find out what Kyle and Mark think about the journal and how they use it in their daily lives. All of this and more in this episode of the Productivity Lab.

Resources and Fun Stuff:

* 2022 Themes – TPL* Cortex Podcast* TheThemeSystem.com* The Pen Addict* Strange Habits – TPL* CGP Grey’s Video on how he uses his journal* Common Place Book* The Daily Stoic* Stoic Week – TPL* UgMonk* Exist* Exist Review – TPL* Almond Blossom by van Gogh* PARA Method

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Mark’s fortnightly newsletter: The [Input|Output]’s of Mark* Kyle’s personal website:

Coming off a holiday break, the duo talks about long breaks.What is a long break for you? A week? Two weeks? Maybe three months? We all need them, but we don’t all get them. Join Kyle and Mark as they discuss what long breaks mean to them and how to make the best of them. Get all this and more in this episode of the Productivity Lab.

Resources and Fun Stuff:

* Mark’s End of Year Lists* 2022 Yearly Themes – TPL* Mark’s The Practice review * Different Work Stations – TPL* Hyperfocus Book Review – TPL* Hyperfocus & Scatter Focus – TPL* Digital Minimalism – TPL* Bullshit Jobs* Cal Newport’s Challenge* Algorithms to Live By – TPL

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Mark’s fortnightly newsletter: The [Input|Output]’s of Mark* Kyle’s personal website: quadrantnine.net* Kyle’s fortnightly newsletter: Dispatches from Quadrant Nine* Kyle’s

Another year another round of themes complete. Themes are an important framework for us here at The Productivity Lab. Unlike resolutions, a theme is more flexible and functions more as a guiding star than a solid goal. Themes, unlike resolutions, are (nearly) impenetrable to failure which is why we love so much.

In this episode, we explain what themes are, recap our previous themes for 2021, and share our themes (and focuses) for 2022. We hope that this episode inspires you to find the right theme for twenty twenty-two!

Resources & Fun Stuff

* Seeking Permission – Mark’s Post* Mark’s unboxing video of Hansel & Grettle and Other Stories* Folio Society* Eaton Press* Waited by Mark (Amazon / Apple)* Deep Work Book Review – The Productivity Lab* CGP Grey’s Video on Yearly Themes* Cortex* 2022 Themes Cortex* TheThemeSystem.com* Theme System Journals* 2021 Yearly Themes – The Productivity Lab* Mark’s Newsletter* How We Plan – The Productivity Lab* Focused Podcast* Focused Wall Calendar* Digital Minimalism Book Review – The Productivity Lab* The Practice Book Review – The Productivity Lab* Refuse to Choose Book Review – The Productivity Lab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Mark’s fortnightly newsletter: The [Input|Output]’s of Mark* Kyle’s personal website: quadrantnine.net* Kyle’s fortnightly newsletter: Dispatches from Quadrant Nine* Kyle’s Instagram & Twitter

Credits

It’s finally here! Often discussed, finally reviewed: Deep Work by Cal Newport.Deep Work is “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.” In this episode, Kyle and Mark dive into a “deep” discussion about the purpose of the book, its philosophies and strategies. Is “Deep Work” possible? Does our work life prevent it? Find out in this episode of the Productivity Lab.

Resources and Fun Stuff:

* Mark’s latest post that he wanted to trash* In Every Mirror She’s Black* TPL – How We Plan* TPL – Digital Minimalism* Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport* So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport* Deep Questions Podcast* Hyperfocus Review – TPL* Ultralearning – TPL* The superstar effect  – Cal Newport blog post* Walter Issacson, Author* TPL – Don’t Break the Chain* TPL – Time Blocking* FocusMe* Freedom* TPL – Refuse to Choose

More from The Productivity Lab

Planning is essential for getting stuff done, some would say it’s just as important as doing. In this episode, Kyle & Mark share their current systems for planning, from the tools they use to their planning philosophies. From Todoist to Trello, from daily planning to year-long projects, learn how the hosts of The Productivity Lab plan their lives.

Resources and Fun Stuff:

* Waited by Mark* Mix Tape by Mark* The Writer’s Field Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Michael Noll* The Copy Editor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing & Coportate Communications by Amy Einsohn and Marilyn Schwartz* 2021 Yearly Themes – The Productivity Lab* 2020 Yearly Themes – The Productivity Lab* Daily Themes – The Productivity Lab* Notion* Obsidian* Cloth & Paper* Cloth & Paper Disk Bound Planner* Trello* PARA Method* Todoist* Refuse to Choose! by Barabra Sher* Kyleban Boards – The Productivity Lab* Time Blocking – The Productivity Lab* SMART Goals

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Kyle’s personal website: quadrantnine.net* Kyle’s Instagram & Twitter

Credits

Logo & BrandingDesign for The Productivity Lab is provided by Adam Dodson DesignsMusic“Getting it Done” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.

Often talked about, never reviewed, Kyle and Mark bring the Readwise App into the lab for a review.Do you love reading? Are you a writer? A researcher? A lover of saving all things written? This app may be just for you. Join us as we discuss the app and service features, how we use it, pricing, and more in this episode of The Productivity Lab!

Resources and Fun Stuff:

* Myke Hurley Keyboard Club (Twitch)* Cortex Podcast* The Pen Addict* Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard* Focused Podcast* TPL – Zettlekasten Review* Exist* YNAB* TPL – Apps We Can’t Live Without* Hypothesis App* Reader by Readwise

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Kyle’s personal website: quadrantnine.net* Kyle’s Instagram & Twitter

Credits

Logo & BrandingDesign for The Productivity Lab is provided by Adam Dodson DesignsMusic“Getting it Done” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By

Welcome to our first exclusive episode of The Productivity Lab where we draw inspiration not from the web or books, but from each other. As mentioned in the Our (Strange) Habits episode Kyle has a rather unique approach to managing his projects. By combining the rotating priority board mentioned in Refuse to Choose, and the classic Kanban method, Kyle has created a hybrid that we can only call Kyleban Boards. Learn what this hybrid method is all about and how it can (or can’t) help you manage your many projects in this episode.

Resources & Fun Stuff

* Kyle’s IG post showing how they work* A Reflection on my Sober October – Quadrant Nine* Refuse to Choose by Barbra Sher* Refuse to Choose Book Review – The Productivity Lab* Kanban Boards – Wikipedia* The Kanban Method – The Productivity Lab* Trello* Readwise* Eatin’ & Sippin’ Locally

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s fortnightly newsletter: The [Input|Output]’s of Mark* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Kyle’s personal website: quadrantnine.net* Kyle’s fortnightly newsletter: Dispatches from Quadrant Nine* Kyle’s Instagram & Twitter

Credits

Logo & BrandingDesign for The Productivity Lab is provided by Adam Dodson DesignsMusic“Getting it Done” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

How about writing three full pages every morning after you wake up?In this episode, Kyle and Mark review the practice of writing morning pages, a practice started by author Julia Cameron. Will Kyle actually hand write his morning pages every morning? Will emptying their mind ready them for the day? Find out all of this and more in this episode of The Productivity Lab!

Resources and Fun Stuff:

* Toni Morrison* Mark’s Spotify Show Episode (33 & 1/3rd) – Thank to my friend for reaching out!* Everyday Superhumans * Julia Cameron – The Artist Way* TPL – Paper Only* TPL – Gratitude Journaling* TPL – Daybook* TPL – The Practice Review* 750words.com* Exist* TPL – Kanban

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Kyle’s personal website: quadrantnine.net* Kyle’s Instagram & Twitter

Credits

Logo & BrandingDesign for The Productivity Lab is provided by Adam Dodson DesignsMusic“Getting it Done” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.

What sets the professional from the amateur? How does one go from being a novice to being an expert? How can you make sure you’re giving it your all? These are the questions Seth Godin poses in his book The Practice: Shipping Creative Work. In the book, Seth talks about the practice, the everyday grind one must endure, neigh, embrace, to become an expert in your field. From the writer working on his first novel to the entrepreneur building her start-up from scratch. The practice is what’s needed to accomplish these lofty goals… or so Seth says.

In this episode of The Productivity Lab, Kyle & Mark discuss the claims Seth makes in The Practice, from the daily grind to embracing failure, to identity-based habits, and see if Seth’s thesis is up to snuff. Listen now to see if The Practice is right for you.

More from The Productivity Lab

* Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer* Can YOU Fix Climate Change? – Kurgesagt* Strong Towns by Charles L. Marohn* The Dip by Seth Godin* Seth’s Site* Seth’s Blog* Akimbo – Seth’s Podcast* Pocket of Do by Chris Do* The War of Art by Steven Pressfield* Austin Kleon Books* Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace* Atomic Habits by James Clear* Atomic Habits Review – The Productivity Lab* Starward Shadows Quarterly* What I learned from 100 days of rejection | Jia Jiang – TED Talk * So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport

More from The Productivity Lab

* TheProductivityLab.show* Follow us on Twitter @ProductiveLab* Check us out on Instagram @ProductiveLab

More from Mark & Kyle

* Mark’s personal website: askmark.io* Mark’s fortnightly newsletter: The [Input|Output]’s of Mark* Mark’s Instagram & Twitter* Kyle’s personal website: