1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: episode is going to be a longer one part of 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: the series where I interview fascinating people about how they 5 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: take their days from great to awesome and any advice 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: they have for the rest of us. So today I'm 7 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: excited to be interviewing Mike Fardy. Mike is a productivity expert. 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: He is the author of the new book The Productivity Diet, 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: which he will tell us about all about sustainable practices. So, Mike, 10 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: welcome to the shower. 11 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 2: Thanks for having me. It's been a while since we've chatted. 12 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: It's been a while. I'm glad to be chatting with 13 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 1: you again. Why don't you tell our listeners a little 14 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: bit about yourself. 15 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 2: So I am a, as you mentioned, a productivity expert. 16 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: I went from being like a kind of enthusiast to 17 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 2: a specialist to a strategist and now having done this 18 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: for fifteen years now I'm in that philosophical era now 19 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 2: to a. 20 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: Degree, you're in your philosophical era, ykay. 21 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: But I mean this book, The Productivity Diet, Practical Guide 22 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: to Nurturing your productive potential. It came out in early 23 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five, and it's kind of the you know again, 24 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 2: it leans into the how to how I'm able to do, 25 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: you know, be simple, flexible and sustainable with my productivity practices, 26 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 2: and that's kind of what I teach, so I write 27 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 2: about it. I have a podcast, which you've appeared on 28 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 2: on a number of occasions, and I have linked learning classes, 29 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 2: I have skill share classes. So I've been out there 30 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: for a while just teaching people how to stop doing 31 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 2: productive and start being productive. And unlike you, well two things. 32 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 2: Unlike number one, I'm Canadian. Number one. Number one, well, 33 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 2: I guess three because I'm a guy. Number two. Yes, 34 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 2: there's number two. I'm Canadian. Also, that's number three. I 35 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: am not a morning person. 36 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: Yes, well, we will get to that for sure, because 37 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: you know, that does change how we go about our 38 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: days and how we schedule things, and it's important to 39 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: know ourselves with that and to you know, adjust how 40 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: we approach things based on who we are. But I 41 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,919 Speaker 1: want to talk a little bit first about what time 42 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: crafting is, because one of your big ideas is time crafting. 43 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: So maybe you can explain to people what. 44 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 2: You mean by that sure. So I'm not a fan 45 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 2: of the term time management because time has been here 46 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: before we arrived on this planet, and it will be 47 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: here long after. And I think it's rather arrogant for 48 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 2: us to say we can manage something that is beyond us, right. Instead, 49 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 2: what I suggest we can do is we can manage 50 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 2: our relationship with it. And when people who are trying 51 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: to kind of change that mentality from like I'm going 52 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: to manage my time to manage my relationship with it, Really, 53 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 2: what it boils down to is crafting your time. You know, 54 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 2: we will never stop crafting our time until we no 55 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: longer have a relationship with it, which means we are 56 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: no longer with time. Right. And it came to me 57 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 2: through the title time crafting. The name of the practice 58 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: came to me through a conversation I had with my 59 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 2: son a number of years ago. We were walking to 60 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: his elementary school. He's now in high school. And you know, 61 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: one of the things you're taught as a parent is 62 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 2: don't ask your kids like how school going or what 63 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 2: are you doing today? Because they're like fine, like they 64 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: shut down. They don't really talk a lot about it. 65 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: But he had been playing Minecraft and I didn't know 66 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 2: a lot about Minecraft, so I said, well, can you 67 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 2: explain Minecraft to me? And he goes, well, Dad, you 68 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: take these basic elements, you know, you know, earth stone, 69 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: all these basic elements, and then you put them together 70 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 2: and you craft something at a crafting table and you 71 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,519 Speaker 2: get something useful out of it. You can make a weapon, 72 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: you can make a house. And of course, as somebody 73 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: who has spent a lot of time writing creating over 74 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 2: the years, I do have a background in comedy, so 75 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 2: I always look through things and try to find the 76 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 2: funny and everything that's kind of transferred to my life 77 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 2: that I live now. And I mean, I'm not going 78 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: to say that as he was telling me about it. 79 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 2: You know when you watch a movie and the person's 80 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: vocals kind of drifted to the distance and you're in 81 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 2: your own head at that point, you know, and they 82 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 2: kind of like this mother, and you're like, what's going 83 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 2: on in my head? That's kind of what happened where 84 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh my gosh, that's what I've because that's 85 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 2: what I'm teaching. I'm teaching people how to take things 86 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: like their calendar and their to do list and these 87 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 2: different things and put them together to craft their time. 88 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: And really what time rafting is made up of is 89 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: three core elements, and they all involve the three kind 90 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 2: of basic areas that I think help us craft our time, 91 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 2: which are time theming, which is directly related to the calendar, 92 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: theming your days, your weeks, your months, even your year 93 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 2: or seasons. Then there is attention paths, which are kind 94 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: of there, I would say, an evolution of getting things 95 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 2: done's contexts, right, There's a bit more categories to them. 96 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 2: There's types of attention pass and so for the people 97 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 2: who are driven by their to do list, that's kind 98 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 2: of the place that I start with them when I'm 99 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 2: coaching them or working with them. And then the third 100 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 2: element is a reflective practice, so journaling, which is something 101 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: that we tend to bypass a lot when we're making 102 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 2: our way through time, and realistically it's probably one of 103 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: the most undervalued and underappreciated elements because it allows us. 104 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 2: I mean, you've talked about this, tracking your time is 105 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 2: a form of reflective practice, right, like that kind of thing. 106 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 2: But again, nuance has to be applied to all of this. 107 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 2: So when I talk about time theming, it's not quite 108 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: the s same as time blocking. Right, there's a bit 109 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 2: more flexibility built in. When I talk about attention paths, 110 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 2: it's not quite the same as contexts because there are 111 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 2: some elements to it, like energy plays a role in it. 112 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: And then reflective practice doesn't have to be you know, 113 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: tracking your time. It could be you know, chronological journaling 114 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 2: through a daily log. It could be you know, just 115 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: basic interstitial journaling. It could be the one line a 116 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 2: day journal that James Clear does. So those three elements essentially, 117 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 2: if you do any or all of those with great 118 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 2: regularity in a consistent and sustainable way, then you are 119 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 2: time crafting. And that's what I teach and and I 120 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 2: go into it in the second part of the book, right, 121 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 2: I want I want to get people's mindsets in order 122 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: before we go down this path. Because when I say 123 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: time management is a fallacy and a myth, it immediately people, 124 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 2: what are you talking about? We've managing time for years, 125 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 2: have we though? 126 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: So No, we're really just all playing Minecraft with our time. 127 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: I guess this is what it comes. I mean, I mean, 128 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 2: we hear like the ideal week, you know, the perfect week, 129 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,799 Speaker 2: that is such a I mean, it's great to aspire 130 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 2: to that, but life happens. There are so many external forces, 131 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 2: and our attention is really the thing. Like the things 132 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 2: that we should be trying to manage are things that 133 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 2: we actually have some agency over, a greater deal of 134 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 2: agency over expectations, boundaries, again, your relationship with time, things, attention, right, 135 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,239 Speaker 2: like those kind of things. And so what time crafting 136 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: does is it kind of allows you to use time 137 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: and your relationship with time kind of as a framing device, right, 138 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 2: and space as well to make your way through your days, 139 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 2: your weeks or months, your years, and ultimately your life. 140 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well you talked about it being more of a 141 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: partnership with time and the idea that productivity is you know, 142 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: you and time working together to get things done. 143 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, I mean I also have strong opinions after 144 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 2: being again I told you I'm in my philosophical phase 145 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 2: of productivity is broken, right, I mean, you know, the 146 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 2: speed speed is not the end goal when it comes 147 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 2: to being productive. Yet it's being kind of rammed down 148 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 2: our throats in a lot of ways, like get things done, 149 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 2: like check off as many boxes as possible, be efficient, 150 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 2: be efficient yet, but efficiency is a byproduct of being productive. 151 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 2: It's it's not being productive, right, So to me, I 152 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 2: think that what I try to do in a productivity 153 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 2: diet is and I've been trying to do this over 154 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 2: the years that I since I left life hack, because 155 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 2: life hacks really have been both a blessing and a curse. Right. 156 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 2: The idea of hey, we can shortcut some of this stuff, 157 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: but then we end up life hacking and life hacking 158 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 2: and life hacking, and all of a sudden, we've hacked 159 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: our life to death with no hacking essentially is derived 160 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 2: from a Latin term which I'm not going to necessarily 161 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 2: be able to translate right now, but the idea of 162 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 2: hacking is to cut without care, right, So this is 163 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 2: more of a deliberate, intentional kind of pruning and curating. 164 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 2: And so to me, productivity isn't about being efficient and 165 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: effective like I said, those are byproducts. Productivity is about 166 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 2: the active link between your intentions big or small, and 167 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 2: your attention and that partnership. So those two like if 168 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 2: you can think about productivity and in a different way. 169 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 2: And that's why the productivity diet I'm not talking about 170 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 2: a diet is in like a crash diet like quick, 171 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: it's a lifestyle. And that's what this book kind of 172 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 2: purports to help you with is to craft a lifestyle 173 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 2: that allows you to craft your time in a way 174 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 2: that allows you to live a fulfilling life where you know, 175 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 2: you keep in mind things like cadence, rhythm. You mentioned 176 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 2: listening to yourself listening, you know, living with nuance. I 177 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: talk about in the book the idea of absolutes, and 178 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 2: I mean, for somebody who's a night owl, we can't help, 179 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 2: but here all the time, Oh you got to get 180 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 2: up early, you got to do this, you got to 181 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 2: do that. So many health issues with people who you know, 182 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 2: stay up late, but we don't look at the underlying 183 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,199 Speaker 2: or the underpinning elements of that. There's nuance to all 184 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: of this stuff. And that's what I try to get 185 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 2: into in the book is the idea of like, let's 186 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 2: keep nuance in mind as we make our way through time. 187 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: Absolutely well, We're going to take a quick ad break 188 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: and then I will be back with more from Mike Verdi. 189 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: I am back with Mike Farty. We are talking productivity 190 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: in the different ways we can do time crafting. I 191 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: want to talk a little bit about time theming, because 192 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: you have different levels of this and the idea roughly, 193 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: is you're choosing different kinds of tasks to do a 194 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: different intervals, or you know, assigning a theme to a 195 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: different length of time. 196 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 2: Sure. Sure, So the way I look at it is 197 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 2: time theming is giving an overarching focus to a like 198 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 2: you said, a type of task, maybe a role that 199 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 2: you have, maybe a category. Right, So to me, I 200 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 2: think the first off, a lot of people will say, 201 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:41,959 Speaker 2: there's no way that I can theme my time. My 202 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 2: days are too dynamic, et cetera, et cetera. Whenever I 203 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 2: start talking about time theming, I immediately go to things 204 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 2: that are certain, because that's what we look at. Right. 205 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 2: So when I'm working with clients or I discuss this 206 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 2: with people who have kids, I'm like, well, do your 207 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 2: kids go to school on Saturday or Sunday? No? No, okay, 208 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 2: So therefore you you know that your kids don't go 209 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 2: to school on those days. So you may not want 210 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 2: to be doing things like, I don't know, recording podcasts 211 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 2: on Saturdays or Sundays. If you're running your own business 212 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,439 Speaker 2: or things that require you to tell your kids to 213 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 2: keep down, keep it down, so on and so forth, 214 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 2: you can orchestrate your time around that. And that's really 215 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 2: what we're talking about here. So yes, there's daily themes. 216 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 2: There's also what I call horizontal themes, which are increments 217 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 2: of time throughout the day. So as a night owl, 218 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 2: I do all of my writing tasks in the afternoon, 219 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 2: So I have a writing theme that goes from two 220 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 2: to four pm Monday through Friday. So at two o'clock, 221 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 2: no matter what my day is looking like, it's like, 222 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 2: all right, two o'clock, it's time for me to work 223 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 2: on my writing. Means nobody can schedule meetings during that 224 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 2: time all of that stuff. The distinction between time theming 225 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 2: and say time blocking, especially in those smaller increments, is 226 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 2: that it is a consistent time it is. It's not 227 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 2: like you're patchworking it, which can happen with time blocking 228 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 2: plus time theming, because it's an overarching focus you're looking for, 229 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 2: kind of like the just right, You're not trying to 230 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 2: be too narrow with your focus. So if I was 231 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 2: to say my two to four time is to focus 232 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 2: on book writing, but I'm not writing a book, then 233 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 2: it's useless, right, Or yeah. 234 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: You want to make it not too narrow, but that 235 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: too broad as to be. 236 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 2: Exactly, which, by the way, also you want to do 237 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 2: with attention pass as well, because I mean one of 238 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 2: the things that and I love David Allen's work. He's 239 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,439 Speaker 2: a mentor. I've had many conversations with him. But when 240 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 2: people use a context like home, especially during the era 241 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 2: of COVID and remote work, not a terribly helpful context 242 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 2: in a lot of ways. I mean, because what they 243 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 2: should do is they should act as filters, and that's 244 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 2: what time theming does. So if I know that, like today, 245 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,319 Speaker 2: as we're recording, it's my connection day. So this is 246 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 2: the day where I will do outreach. It's where I 247 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 2: will actually send a bunch of these books out in 248 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,079 Speaker 2: the mail to people to say, hey, here, check out 249 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 2: this book. It's where I will do that sort of thing, 250 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 2: both personally and professionally, because it's covering my entire day. 251 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 2: You and I are having this conversation right now, This 252 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 2: would be an abstraction, So I stop focusing on that. 253 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 2: And once we're done having our conversation, my brain doesn't go, 254 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 2: well now what My brain goes, Okay, hold on what 255 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 2: day is it? Oh, it's Tuesday? Okay, which is Tuesday? 256 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 2: Meaning oh, Tuesday's connection? What are my connection tasks? And 257 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 2: then I can go from there. So, yeah, it is. 258 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 2: It is essentially giving you an overarching focus. You don't 259 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 2: them all seven days of the week, not especially not 260 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 2: out of the gate. Start with the one that you 261 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 2: know that you can have the most success with, and 262 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 2: then if you want to add more, you know you're 263 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 2: gonna have two daily themes, maybe a horizontal theme that's 264 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 2: kind of what time theming is. And again there's monthly 265 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 2: themes and so on and so forth. 266 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: Well, what are some other useful themes? I mean you 267 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: said connections. I think that's one that would be broadly 268 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,559 Speaker 1: useful for a lot of people. Like this is when 269 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: I reach out, this is when I have my nice 270 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: to have conversations. 271 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 2: What might be in an administrative at mid day a 272 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 2: horizontal theme would be let's say, actually, I'll tell you 273 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 2: a great one. I was working with a client who 274 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 2: was an administrative assistant, not just for the CEO, but 275 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: for I mean, and what would happen when they were 276 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 2: working with their CEOs and invariably others would ask this 277 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 2: person to do other things, and so they said, I 278 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 2: was having a really hard time doing my things, and 279 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 2: I was doing all these other things. I said, well, 280 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 2: what if you had a horizontal theme. Well, first off, 281 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 2: we work backwards from their certainty. So I said, when 282 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 2: do people stop bugging you? Like? That was the first 283 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 2: which no one had as asked her. She's like, oh, well, 284 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 2: you know the afternoons people are kind of in there. 285 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, I go, so people that means they're 286 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 2: primarily bugging you before lunch, right, yeah? Yeah? Like well 287 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 2: what if your what if your morning time from let's 288 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 2: say eight to noon is serving, that's your your theme. 289 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 2: So it means anything you're doing is serving others, whether 290 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 2: it's the CEO, whether it's that's what you're focusing on. 291 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 2: And then lunch access kind of like that boundary. And 292 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 2: then after lunch, your overarching focus is the self serving stuff. 293 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 2: And I go, by the way, if you're doing the 294 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 2: self serving stuff, right, you're serving others anyway, especially in 295 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 2: your role. And what she had to do then was 296 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 2: look at her to do list and just put s 297 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 2: next to the tasks that we're serving others, and then 298 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 2: SS next to the tasks that were serving herself. And 299 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 2: then all she would do is look at our list 300 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 2: and instead of looking at the details of the to 301 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 2: do list, which is where we can get caught up. 302 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 2: She was looking in that last at the end of 303 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 2: the task, saying, oh, these are all my ass tasks. 304 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 2: Let me batch those. Okay, that's what I'm gonna do 305 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 2: in the morning. So that's that's a very nuanced approach 306 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 2: for an individual. But I have a day called the 307 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 2: household day, you know, and that means that that's when 308 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 2: I do household tasks, which we all do anyway, Like, 309 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 2: you know, I think I read a meme recently that 310 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 2: was the week The weekend is either a day where 311 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 2: we do all the things we love to do or 312 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 2: all the thing errand's we have to run. And we 313 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 2: hate both options, like we want both options, right, But 314 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 2: but i've you know, if you are somebody like let's 315 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 2: say a light bulb burnt out in my study here, 316 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: I could stop and do that, but it's not affecting 317 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 2: the light in my house. So if I wanted to, 318 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 2: I could just write it down on my list the 319 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 2: day I would probably the default day would be Saturday, 320 00:14:58,040 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 2: let's say, and. 321 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: Then you but there's like an annual theme too, Like 322 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: an annual axiom is sort of an overarching theme. I'm 323 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: very curious what your your annual axiom is this year. 324 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 2: So the annual axiom acts is kind of like a 325 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 2: north star, right, So it's very much like all of 326 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 2: my projects have to serve that. If they don't, then 327 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 2: probably going to be pushed aside, or they better serve 328 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 2: a monthly theme at the very least. So my annual axiom, 329 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 2: which I've returned to, and I mentioned this in the book, 330 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 2: is Redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim. And I've had them in the past. 331 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 2: One was called whatever it takes, no matter what. I've 332 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 2: had three words, I've used the three words that Chris 333 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 2: Brogan has used in the past. And what the annual 334 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 2: acxiom does is I'm the only thing I'm resolute about 335 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 2: is following my annual axiom. So if I want to 336 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 2: I'm turning fifty one this year, I can't eat what 337 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: I used to be able to eat very very you know, 338 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 2: I have to start to take care of myself. So 339 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 2: I'm going to. Okay, redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim does getting myself 340 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 2: in shape and building a habit around exercise makes sense? Absolutely? Okay? 341 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 2: So what does that look like. I've been in this 342 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 2: business now for fifteen years, and sometimes there's some reinvention 343 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 2: that goes on sometimes. You know, when you've been writing 344 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 2: a book and you've kind of been well, you know this, 345 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 2: you've written books, and you kind of go away for 346 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 2: a little while, and then you come back out. You know, 347 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: I've got this book, right, You're kind of peppering things 348 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 2: out there, but you're you're in the weeds with the book. 349 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 2: All right, Well, what things can I do that are 350 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 2: project related that will live up to redesigning? You know, 351 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 2: maybe where I'm at rebuilding, you know, maybe I've been 352 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: gone for a while. I want to build my reputation 353 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 2: back up, or my presence back up, let's say, and 354 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 2: then reclaim you know, hey, you know being on this show, 355 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 2: like you're saying, Mike, would you like to be on 356 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 2: this podcast? Number one? You know, you and I have 357 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 2: known each other for a long time, and I've got 358 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 2: a book to market, so there's no question it makes sense. 359 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 2: But also it does serve that axiom, right, it does. 360 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 2: So what I often recommend if people are tired of 361 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 2: New Year's resolutions, and I'm also a big believer and not, 362 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 2: you don't have to start the year on January first, 363 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 2: either start my ear typically in September because my kids 364 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 2: start school in September. But do like Slogan's work mantras 365 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 2: like anything like that, and it really is helpful. You 366 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 2: can pair this up with reflective practice too. I don't 367 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,679 Speaker 2: get this into the into this in the book, but 368 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 2: if you like meditation and you've got a mantra and 369 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 2: your annual action can be that mantra that you chan't 370 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 2: when you're doing like TM or something like that, it 371 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 2: can actually allow you to kind of choose the kind 372 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,199 Speaker 2: of work that you want to do, the projects you 373 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 2: want to take on, the initiatives that you want to 374 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 2: bring to life. The annual action can kind of steer 375 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 2: you in the right direction as opposed to you just 376 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,120 Speaker 2: going okay, well what do I do? How do I? 377 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 2: I mean, that's because our brains will do we as 378 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 2: we make our way through time. We can either do 379 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,639 Speaker 2: the primitive stuff, you know, like just survive or we 380 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 2: can thrive. Right, So by giving our the newer part 381 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 2: of our brain, the prefrontal cortex, some kind of help 382 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 2: along the way, a bit of a compass, and that's 383 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,880 Speaker 2: what you know, timecrafting can do. And it also can 384 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 2: short circuit any argument that the older part of your 385 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 2: brain the ivingo that can kind of go, hey, well 386 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 2: I don't really feel like doing this. Yeah, but you 387 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,119 Speaker 2: know what, it's Tuesday. Tuesday's your connection day, all right, fine? 388 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 2: Or I'm tired. What can I do when I'm tired? 389 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 2: Oh I can do all these things? Yeah, but you 390 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 2: know it's the afternoon and or sorry, it's the evening 391 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:21,159 Speaker 2: and work's done. Okay, Well, let's look at our personal 392 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 2: projects that are low energy and do those. All right, fine, 393 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 2: I'll come back later to scrap with you again. So 394 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 2: I could figure out, like that's the war that's constantly 395 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 2: going on in our head, and having an annual action 396 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 2: in any of these themes kind of give us a 397 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 2: place to go absolutely. All right. 398 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 1: Well, we're gonna take one more quick ad break and 399 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: then i'll be back with more from Mike Varty. Well, 400 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: I am back talking with Mike Vardy, and we've been 401 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: talking a lot about different time theming. I wanted to 402 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: switch gears a little bit here and talk about your 403 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: night owl status because you know, this is a podcast 404 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: called Before Breakfast and a lot of Elk have found that, 405 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: you know, using their mornings is a key part of 406 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,479 Speaker 1: getting the things done that that they would have trouble 407 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 1: finding time in the rest of the life to do, 408 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: and when somebody is a night owl, you obviously have 409 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: to work things a little bit differently. A lot of 410 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: the world is set up for people who are more 411 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: likely to get up earlier in the morning, So I'm 412 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: curious how that affects your schedule and a advice you'd 413 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: have for other night owls. 414 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 2: So, Laura, I remember and I share this story a lot. 415 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 2: I distinctly remember us being on a panel years ago 416 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 2: with Daniel Gold, Craig Jarrow, myself and you and hal 417 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 2: el Rod Miracle Morning. And I think it was Daniel 418 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,400 Speaker 2: Gold who asked us like, when do you when do you? 419 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 2: When do you get going? When do you start? Like 420 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 2: how do you? And you actually I expected to give 421 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:49,159 Speaker 2: like a really early response, but I think you're like, well, no, 422 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 2: kids have changed things, so I've had to shift a 423 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 2: little bit. But everyone's like three am, five am, all 424 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 2: that stuff. 425 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: Over here. 426 00:19:57,640 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 2: For me, I'm like, when do you start your day? 427 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 2: It was like I go the night before. That's what 428 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 2: you have to do as a night owl. You have 429 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 2: to be a bit more proactive because you're right in 430 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 2: the world that we live in it's very much geared 431 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 2: towards the nine to five, the early riser, right. But 432 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 2: I also look at the phrase the early word gets 433 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 2: the warm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. So 434 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 2: if I was somebody getting up early and my brain 435 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,880 Speaker 2: isn't wired, I would fall into a trap, There's no question, right. 436 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 2: So I have to set myself up the night before. 437 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 2: So the way I kind of flip my time around 438 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,160 Speaker 2: as a night owl is I kind of look at 439 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 2: the afternoon as really the beginning of my day, and 440 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,880 Speaker 2: then I go to sleep, and you know, if I'm 441 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 2: taking like seven hours sleep, it's almost like I take 442 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 2: a really long nap, and then when I get up 443 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 2: the next morning, it's like the second half of my day. 444 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 2: Have you ever seen have you seen that video that 445 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: that's kind of gone viral on TikTok with Ed Milett going, 446 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 2: I take my day and it's twenty four hours, but 447 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:53,959 Speaker 2: I did divide my day into four, and so now 448 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,119 Speaker 2: I have four days instead of one because it's six hours. 449 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 2: But I'm like, okay, you're really just I mean, I 450 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,360 Speaker 2: get it. Time is subjective, but we try to make 451 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 2: it objective, mainly for things we're doing right now. So 452 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 2: we can agree to meet. But for me, I have 453 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 2: to do things like journal the journal the night before 454 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 2: so that when I wake up in the morning, my 455 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 2: brain goes, well what do I do? And I've left 456 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,439 Speaker 2: kind of a letter to myself to go, this is 457 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 2: what you should do. I know you're going to be 458 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 2: susceptible to shiny. No, this is what and I will 459 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 2: start off my day with low energy tasks. If you're 460 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 2: an early riser, you'll start off with high energy tasks. 461 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 2: So for me, that's why attention pass have been so helpful, 462 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 2: especially the energy based ones, because I can look at 463 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 2: my list and go, oh, it's Tuesday, It's connection day. 464 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 2: That's great, but kind of tired. Okay, well, do I 465 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 2: have any low energy connection tasks? And I can start 466 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 2: with and that's where I go. So I'm able to 467 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 2: make progress while honoring my body clock at the same time. 468 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 2: And that's kind of how I've always navigated it. Now, 469 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 2: to be fair, I'm also not staying up as late 470 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 2: as I used to. I'm getting older, you don't, I mean, 471 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 2: that's what happens. But after talking with folks like doctor 472 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,159 Speaker 2: Michael Bruce and others that are you know, well, steeped 473 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 2: in circadian rhythms, and the science around it is that 474 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 2: night owls will never not true like in his case wolves. 475 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,399 Speaker 2: All that happens is your bedtime shifts earlier, but you 476 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 2: still can't get up and go. You're not wired that way. 477 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 2: So even if I'm going to bed at say midnight 478 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 2: instead of two or whatever, it doesn't mean that at 479 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 2: seven am like, oh right, it's time to go. No, 480 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 2: my brain is still foggy. So you have to listen 481 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 2: to your energy levels when you are a night owl, 482 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 2: probably more than anything else. And also, I think anybody, 483 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 2: whether you're an early riser or a night owl, having 484 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 2: the evening routine is incredibly helpful because number one, for 485 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 2: a night owl, it sets you up so that you 486 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 2: can start the day with a bit of focus, a 487 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 2: bit more clarity. But for early risers it allows you 488 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,360 Speaker 2: to hit the ground running. Yeah. 489 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 1: Absolutely, Well, Mike, I always ask my guess this question, 490 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: which is, what is something you have done recently to 491 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 1: take a day from great to awesome? 492 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:06,679 Speaker 2: Oh? Oh wow, okay, so this is really interesting. Is 493 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 2: one thing I started to do in the mornings is 494 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 2: I go for a walk to start my day. And 495 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 2: what that does is. It kind of gets me moving, 496 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:26,120 Speaker 2: both physically and mentally. And I think I remember reading 497 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 2: it was probably a Japanese it might have been Murakami 498 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 2: or somebody like that, that they go running first thing 499 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 2: and then they go writing or whatever. I think it's 500 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:35,360 Speaker 2: what I think about when I run er. I think 501 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 2: that's the name of the book. But I thought, well, 502 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 2: if I go for a walk in the morning, just 503 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 2: a twenty five minute walk, a Pomodoro like, I'll use 504 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 2: all of the tricks that we've learned over the years 505 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 2: to kind of go okay, Well, if I take a 506 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,160 Speaker 2: twenty five minute walk, especially now that we're in as 507 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 2: we're recording this in the summer months in Victoria, the 508 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 2: rain is kind of slipped away, it really does affect 509 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 2: the shape of the day. And so what I think that, 510 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 2: And again, we have the technology. It's not like we're 511 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 2: sitting here going, oh, well, I can't you know, I 512 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 2: can't do anything. I bring my phone with me and 513 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,199 Speaker 2: I will dictate things into my phone and look like 514 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 2: a crazy person probably while doing it. But again, the 515 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 2: one the beauty about getting older is that you don't 516 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 2: care as much make you look crazy if you're wandering 517 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 2: around doing any of that stuff, and it actually gets 518 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:23,640 Speaker 2: so my ideas start flowing. I'm like, Okay, well when 519 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 2: you get back, I have to do this. So honestly, 520 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 2: that morning walk has taken Any day I don't do it, 521 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 2: Let's put this way. Any day I don't do it, it 522 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 2: takes me that much longer to get the day to 523 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 2: where I want it to be. Whereas that morning walk, 524 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 2: which you know, cup of coffee. I'll even walk around 525 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 2: in my pajama pants. I don't even care in my neighborhood. 526 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 2: As long as I'm out there doing it, it does 527 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 2: turn that just transform that day for sure. 528 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, from great to awesome. And a day is less 529 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,400 Speaker 1: awesome if it doesn't happen. Yeah, Well, Mike, where can 530 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: people find you? 531 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 2: Well, if you want to get the book, for example, 532 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 2: just go to Mike Vardi dot com slash lit. It 533 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 2: not only lists the productivity, but the other books I've 534 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 2: written as well. You can find me on social media 535 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:05,679 Speaker 2: Mike Vardi. And if you want to subscribe to my 536 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 2: weekly newsletter, it's Mike Vardy dot com slash light. So 537 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,400 Speaker 2: I send a newsletter out every Saturday every weekend called 538 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,159 Speaker 2: The Lantern, and it's just some insights. I mean again, 539 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:17,640 Speaker 2: like I said, over the years, I've gone from being 540 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:19,359 Speaker 2: this enthusiast all the way to being a bit more 541 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 2: philosophical about things and still offering practical, practical guides and takeaways. 542 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 2: So that's where you can find me. 543 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, we all have our eras we do. We do 544 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: the different eras of the productivity expert exactly. Well, Mike, 545 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:34,919 Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining us. Thank you to 546 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 1: everyone for listening. If you have feedback about this or 547 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,919 Speaker 1: any other episode, you can always reach me at Laura 548 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura, 549 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 550 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 551 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:02,400 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, feedback, you can reach me at Laura 552 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production 553 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the 554 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 555 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: favorite shows.