• 37 minutes 46 seconds
    The Time Audit: Where Your 40 Hours Actually Go (TPS636)

    In this diagnostic episode, we walk through a Time Audit so listeners can see where their 40 hours actually go and create a measurable before and after. We connect the audit to our broader productivity philosophy, show how data and numbers can reveal hidden patterns, and explain why the best improvements are the ones you can actually implement right away.

    Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

    Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps.

    Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Cheat Sheet

    • 🧰 Top 3 Productivity Resources [2:02]
    • ⏱ Why tracking every minute backfires (and what works instead) [5:50]
    • 📅 The time audit you can run with just last week’s calendar [9:13]
    • 🔁 The “we’ve always done it” tasks quietly eating your week [11:40]
    • 🤖 Turning an hour-long weekly chore into a two-minute AI skill [13:51]
    • 📈 The break-even math that makes automation a no-brainer [24:16]
    • 🔍 Letting AI play neutral third party on how you spent your week [28:45]
    • 🗓 How often Thanh and Brooks actually audit their own time [31:44]
    • ✅ The one thing to eliminate or automate this week [36:31]

    Links

    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!

    26 October 2026, 11:00 am
  • 6 minutes 48 seconds
    From Reactive to Proactive in 10 Minutes a Day

    When did you last finish a workday having done what you planned to do, and not just what landed on your desk?

    Thanh knows the reactive trap well. A few years ago, while Asian Efficiency was growing fast, he spent his days fighting fires, until he noticed something unsettling about the business. In this encore episode, he tells the story of the small daily habit that turned things around. He also shares two simple practices you can start tomorrow morning to take back control of your day, and it all takes less than 10 minutes.

    Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TPS, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)



    Links

    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!

    21 October 2026, 11:00 am
  • 57 minutes 25 seconds
    It’s a Signaling Problem: Garrett Salpeter on Faster Recovery (TPS635)

    How did Thanh get his arm from 20 degrees to 90 in a single session, just days after shoulder surgery? His surgeon expected that to take more than a month of physical therapy. The answer has less to do with the shoulder than you might think.

    In this encore episode, Thanh sits down with Garrett Salpeter, founder of NeuFit, to talk about why the body sometimes gets in the way of its own healing, and what it takes to get it unstuck. Whether you’re coming back from an injury, trying to get more out of your workouts, or just can’t afford to be sidelined for months, this conversation might change how you think about recovery.

    Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

    Make the switch! MINTMOBILE.com/PRODUCTIVITY.

    Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TPS, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

    Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free.

    Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Cheat Sheet

    • 🏒 From hockey bench to neuroscience: how a torn wrist changed Garrett’s career [1:11]
    • 🔧 Why the existing technology wasn’t good enough [6:46]
    • 🧠 How your body sabotages its own healing (and how to stop it) [8:00]
    • ⚡ Pain doesn’t mean what you think it means [13:26]
    • 🦵 The surgery patients who didn’t need surgery after all [19:17]
    • 🚶 Walking again 25 years after a spinal cord injury [22:59]
    • 💪 Thanh’s shoulder: five weeks of PT in 25 minutes [28:41]
    • 🥎 The ACL comeback that ended in a state championship [43:27]
    • 🏋 A 60-minute workout in 10 minutes? [48:47]

    Links

    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!

    19 October 2026, 11:00 am
  • 7 minutes 11 seconds
    Never Forget Again: 5 Places to Use a Checklist

    How many times have you been halfway to the airport when it hits you that you forgot something important? Thanh spent years as a digital nomad, living in places like Bangkok, Budapest and Ho Chi Minh City. Even as a seasoned traveler he kept leaving things behind, until he started using a tool so simple that most of us overlook it.

    In this encore episode, Thanh shows why the humble checklist does a lot more than help you pack. He covers what airline pilots know about it, why your brain is the wrong place to store things, and five places where a checklist can save you time and headaches right away. It’s a quick listen, and you’ll probably have one checklist written before it ends.

    Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

    Learn more about how Notion can support your business at notion.com/tps.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Links

    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!

    14 October 2026, 11:00 am
  • 39 minutes 18 seconds
    Your Q4 Productivity Reset: Plan the Next 12 Weeks Without Burning Out (TPS634)

    Q4 is the last clean run at your year, and it’s also the quarter most likely to flatten you. In this episode, Thanh and Brooks walk through a 12-week reset that respects both: how to cut your list down to the one goal that matters, how to pick leading measures you can actually move this week, and how to plan the recovery alongside the work so December doesn’t arrive with nothing left in the tank.

    Masterclass.com/TPS for at least 15% off any annual membership.

    Learn more about how Notion can support your business at notion.com/tps.

    Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Cheat Sheet

    • 🌡 Why the quarter everyone treats as a sprint is really only two months [0:33]
    • 📌 Top 3 Productivity Resources [2:05]
    • 🔄 The case for treating Q4 as a continuation instead of a fresh start [6:06]
    • ✂ Cut your Q4 goal in half — then cut it in half again [12:29]
    • 📞 The number you can actually move on a Tuesday [16:39]
    • 🖼 Turn your quarterly plan into something you’ll actually look at [27:46]
    • 🗓 The habit that quietly holds every productivity system together [31:56]
    • 🔥 The one quarter where it’s okay to just go for it [34:52]

    Links

    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!

    12 October 2026, 11:00 am
  • 7 minutes 48 seconds
    Q4 Is Shorter Than You Think

    How many productive weeks do you really have left this year? Probably fewer than your calendar suggests. After more than a decade of running Asian Efficiency, Thanh has seen the same pattern every year, in his own business and with his clients: the last stretch of the year quietly disappears long before December 31st.

    In this encore episode, Thanh shares the simple way he reframes the final quarter so it doesn’t slip away. It takes under 10 minutes, and you’ll come away with one clear step you can take today.

    Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Links

    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!

    7 October 2026, 11:00 am
  • 43 minutes 42 seconds
    How to Buy Back Time: 3 Strategies for Everyday People (TPS633)

    How much would you pay to never stand in a grocery line again? It’s a question most of us never think to ask, because we assume outsourcing and executive assistants are only for CEOs and millionaires. But when time is the one thing you can’t make more of, using a little money to get some of it back might be one of the smartest trades you can make.

    In this encore episode, we share three practical ways to buy back your time, from small tech fixes to delegating things you never thought you could hand off. You’ll hear why letting go is often hardest for tasks you’re good at, a simple budget trick that makes delegation work for everyday people, and a restaurant reservation hack you’ll want to try this weekend.

    Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps.

    See what ElevenAgents can do for your specific workflows. Start with a demo at elevenlabs.io/tps.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Cheat Sheet

    • ⏳ The trade most people never think to make [1:23]
    • 📚 Top 3 Productivity Resources [2:50]
    • 📱 How one app turned soccer team chaos into hours saved [4:00]
    • 🧳 Why Brooks finally let someone else plan his vacation [10:39]
    • 🪜 The hardest kind of task to delegate (it’s not what you think) [13:42]
    • 🤝 Why Thanh waited six years too long to get help [29:22]
    • 🍣 The restaurant reservation hack that works almost every time [33:41]
    • ⚖ On-demand service or dedicated assistant? How to choose [39:53]

    Links

    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!

    5 October 2026, 11:00 am
  • 8 minutes 18 seconds
    Grow Where You Work: Designing a Space That Helps You Focus

    When did you last look at your desk and ask whether it’s helping you or holding you back? We put a lot of thought into apps and systems. But the space where you spend eight hours a day might be doing more to your focus and energy than any tool you use.

    In this encore episode, we use a surprising comparison to explain why your surroundings matter so much. We also share simple, budget-friendly tweaks that make work feel a little easier. You don’t need to remodel your office. You need about ten minutes and one small change you can make today.

    Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

    Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TPS, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)



    Links

    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!

    30 September 2026, 11:00 am
  • 48 minutes 36 seconds
    AI Isn’t Saving You Time Yet: Diagnose the Workflow Blockers First (TPS632)

    AI usually fails to save time for one simple reason: the bottleneck is not the model, it is the workflow around it. In this episode, we break down the most common blockers, like unclear prompts, messy source material, too many tools, review overhead, trust issues, and missing definitions of done. We also show you how to diagnose the friction point, redesign the workflow, and measure real time savings on repeatable work.

    Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

    Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TPS, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

    Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free.

    See what ElevenAgents can do for your specific workflows. Start with a demo at elevenlabs.io/tps

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Cheat Sheet

    • 🎧 Top 3 Productivity Resources [2:41]
    • 💡 The unglamorous task that finally made AI click [6:16]
    • 🐀 The three-letter test for what you should hand to AI [13:00]
    • 🌐 The capability most people never realize their AI already has [19:00]
    • 🔎 What OpenAI told Thanh every power user has in common [21:46]
    • 💸 The question that reframes a $200 a month AI bill [25:42]
    • ❓ The follow-up question that surfaces what the AI left out [33:15]
    • 🪤 Slop grenades, wrong maps, and why the review step still matters [40:20]

    Links

    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!

    28 September 2026, 11:00 am
  • 7 minutes 33 seconds
    What a Coffee Shop Walk Taught Me About Focus

    How many hours did you work straight through yesterday without once stepping away from your screen? For years, Thanh believed that powering through from morning to evening was the secret to getting more done. Then, while coworking with a friend at an Austin coffee shop, he got an unexpected invitation: a 10-minute walk, right in the middle of a focused work session. That short stroll sparked a habit he’s kept for nearly five years.

    In this encore episode, Thanh explains why more hours don’t equal more productivity and how strategic breaks sharpen focus, creativity, and decision-making. It’s under 10 minutes, and it just might change how you spend the next hour of your day.

    Visit www.asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

    Learn more about how Notion can support your business at notion.com/tps.

    Listen to this episode (MP3)

    Links

    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!

    23 September 2026, 11:00 am
  • 42 minutes 19 seconds
    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

    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!

    21 September 2026, 11:00 am
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