The Productivity Show

By Asian Efficiency

Asian Efficiency is the leading website on time management and productivity. Learn how to be efficient, get things done (GTD), and stay motivated.... more

4.6

493493 ratings

FAQs about The Productivity Show:

How many episodes does The Productivity Show have?

The podcast currently has 847 episodes available.

Best of The Productivity Show

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: The Music That Rewires Your Focus w/ Dan Clark from Brain.fm (TPS629)
How would you know if you’d never actually experienced deep focus? Dan Clark, CEO of Brain.fm, says that’s the most common thing people write in to tell him — they thought they knew what concentration felt like, right up until they didn’t. In this encore episode, Dan breaks down the science behind functional music: how neural phase locking syncs your brain to a focus state in three to seven minutes, why lyrics quietly sabotage your flow, and the simple focus sprint setup he recommends for anyone trying it for the first time. Start with a free trial at shopify.com/tps. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free. Learn more about how Notion can support your business at notion.com/tps. Listen to this episode (MP3) Cheat Sheet Top 3 Productivity Resources [2:02] The 12 phone calls that turned a superfan into the CEO [3:14] What “syncing your brain to music” actually means [6:30] The message Brain.fm gets from users over and over [11:32] Why lyrics quietly wreck your flow state [15:35] The focus sprint setup he recommends to every beginner [18:30] Half human, half math: how each track gets built [21:35] The surgery study that convinced him this really works [23:56] Video games, EEG, and fMRI: how they prove the effect [27:45] The morning ritual he runs before touching anything else [34:23] The Google Maps trick for a week that’s going sideways [38:34] Links Shopify Upwork Notion 25X Productivity Coaching Brain.fm Atomic Habits by James Clear Fireflies.ai Roam Research Hans Zimmer Focus@Will If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!
September 07, 202644min
Number 2: Stop Consuming Productivity Tips and Start Using Them
If you’ve ever spent an afternoon reading productivity articles instead of doing actual work, this episode is for you. Thanh breaks down the four signs you’ve fallen into the productivity content trap, shares a simple audit to catch yourself in the act, and gives you one rule that turns any tip into real behavior change. Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free. Listen to this episode (MP3) Links Upwork 25X Productivity Coaching If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!
September 09, 202611min
Number 3: The Productivity Rules We Stopped Following (and What We Do Instead) (TPS630)
A lot of popular productivity advice sounds smart until you actually try to live by it. In this episode, Thanh and Brooks share the rules they’ve stopped following, from inbox zero and rigid morning routines to building elaborate note systems and optimizing every minute. More importantly, they explain what replaced them: flexible systems, useful constraints, and practices that work in real life instead of just looking impressive on the internet. Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Make the switch! MINTMOBILE.com/PRODUCTIVITY. Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps. Learn more about how Notion can support your business at notion.com/tps. Listen to this episode (MP3) Cheat Sheet Top 3 Productivity Resources [1:47] Why chasing inbox zero solves the wrong problem [6:56] Triaging your whole inbox from a 15-minute walk [10:39] What tracking every single minute for four months taught him [21:20] The two-app note setup that ended years of hoarding [28:11] The one rule that keeps a blown-up routine from wrecking your day [36:26] Principles, not prison cells [43:39] Links Mint Mobile — make the switch DripDrop — promo code TPS for 20% off your first order Notion 25X Productivity Coaching Bounce How to Try Again by Steve Kamb Nerd Fitness Apple Refurbished Store RefurbMe Refurb Tracker Quiet by Susan Cain Flight Plan by Brian Tracy Evernote Obsidian Drafts Day One Obsidian Map View plugin DevonThink Claude Atomic Habits by James Clear Productivity Academy If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!
September 14, 202648min
Number 4: Stop Managing Your Time. Start Managing Your Energy and Attention (TPS631)
In this episode, we break down why clock-based planning often fails and why the real bottlenecks are energy, attention, and cognitive load. We talk about protecting peak hours, matching the right task to the right mental state, reducing attention residue, and planning recovery on purpose. We also share practical ways to notice how sleep, stress, meetings, and device distraction affect output far more than calendar math. Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Masterclass.com/TPS for at least 15% off any annual membership. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free. Learn more about how Notion can support your business at notion.com/tps. Listen to this episode (MP3) Cheat Sheet Top 3 Productivity Resources [4:03] Is a $3,000 phone actually a productivity upgrade? [7:22] Why the hour you blocked off still doesn’t get used [8:53] The one-hour meeting that’s really costing you two [16:46] The classic GTD scheduling advice Brooks had to throw out [21:11] Three things to do before you expect your brain to focus [23:09] What Thanh’s ring told him after three afternoons of crashing [24:39] The “head trash” that makes a messy system even harder to fix [31:06] Why your dream job is only 10% the thing you love [36:55] The trick that makes an ugly task suddenly doable [39:41] Links Masterclass — at least 15% off any annual membership Upwork — post your job for free Notion 25X Productivity Coaching First Blood (1982) The Expendables (2010) Paperman Setapp UGREEN USB to USB-C Adapter Combo 4-Pack Defrag98 Apple unveils iPhone Duo Claude OpenAI Codex Oura Ring WHOOP Getting Things Done by David Allen Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!
September 21, 202643min
Number 5: Heck Yeah or No: How to Say No, Even to Your Boss
Did you say yes to something recently and regret it before the calendar invite even arrived? Thanh once turned down an opportunity he was excited about, and it was tied to something he loves. Find out why he said no, and why it turned out to be one of his better decisions. When the request comes from your boss, saying no gets a lot harder. Thanh shares the simple test that makes most of these decisions for him and the words he’d use to say no to his boss without hurting his reputation. It all takes less than 10 minutes. Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps. Listen to this episode (MP3) Links DripDrop — 20% off your first order with promo code TPS 25X Productivity Coaching If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!
September 16, 20269min