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Focused
Relay FM
David Sparks and Mike Schmitz are not nearly as productive as they’d like to be. Join these fellow travelers (and a bunch of special guests) as they share the best ways to get focused, and talk though their successes and failures along the way. Hosted by David Sparks and Mike Schmitz.
- 1 hour 3 minutes221: A Focus on Creativity
David & Mike consider the relationship between productivity & creativity, how focus plays a role in the creative process, and the details of their own creativity systems.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Mike's Practical PKM Cohort
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Everything is a Remix (Original Series) | YouTube
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Focused #163: The Laws of Creativity, with Joey Cofone
The Laws of Creativity by Joey Cofone
Mike's Creativity Flywheel Course
Drafts
Obsidian
MindNode
Productivity Field Guide | MacSparky Field Guides
OmniFocus
David's Bookshelf Drawing
Discbound Analog | Ugmonk
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Karla's Choice by John le Carré
14 January 2025, 4:45 pm - 1 hour 4 minutes220: 2024 Retrospective
David & Mike reflect on the things that worked (and the things that didn't) in 2024 and set their intentions for 2025.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Practical PKM (Mike's Newsletter)
Mike's YouTube channel
LifeHQ (Mike's done-for-you Obsidian vault)
Postcard Cabins (formerly Getaway House)
David's Productivity Field Guide
Bookworm podcast
Paracord
Marlin Spike
Atmos Vacuum Canister | Fellow
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius – Ryan Holiday's Fancy Version
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Free Time by Jenny Blake
31 December 2024, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 20 minutes219: A Focused Smorgasbord
David & Mike catch up with listener feedback regarding the use of AI, reading workflows, anxious parenting, and what the heck even is a sabbatical.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick
Time Timer | Visual Timers For Time Management
ADHD Gift Guide 2024: 30 Dopamine-Friendly Gifts
Ethan Mollick | Substack
Readwise Reader
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Obsidian Web Clipper
Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves
Book Series: The Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Shortform | The World's Best Book Summaries
Bookworm | Podcast Book Club
Anti-Time Management by Richie Norton
211: Anti-Time Management by Richie Norton | Bookworm
Hell Yeah or No | Derek Sivers
What I’m doing now | Derek Sivers
What I’m Doing Now | MacSparky
17 December 2024, 7:00 pm - 1 hour 24 minutes218: Turning Down the Volume, with Stephen Hackett
Stephen Hackett joins us to talk about his recent sabbatical experience and share what he learned from taking an extended break.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Guest Starring:
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Sabbatical | 512 Pixels
Photos from Stephen's Sabbatical | Instagram
Relay for St. Jude
Departures #11: Relay 10 | Relay FM
The Blanc Media 8-Week Work Cycle with Sabbaticals | The Focus Course
Give the Gift of Relay
Mac Power Users
3 December 2024, 9:30 pm - 1 hour 18 minutes217: The Anxious Generation
David & Mike consider the hidden costs of prioritizing the virtual world over the real world and discuss ways that we can fight for focus in an age of distraction.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Mike's Minimalist iPhone Home Screen Experiment
The Light Phone
Day One
Typefully
What I’m Doing Now | Derek Sivers
What I’m Doing Now | MacSparky
Mike's Newsletter
Sonnet Mechanical Keyboard | Mode Designs
Plotter USA
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Bookworm #209: Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Free Time by Jenny Blake
19 November 2024, 9:15 pm - 1 hour 9 minutes216: Wholehearted Transformation, with Amy Wicks
Business and life coach Amy Wicks joins us to talk about the Enneagram personality assessment and showing up as our true selves.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Guest Starring:
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
The FOCUSED Calendar
Amy's Book
Amy's Podcast
The Enneagram Institute
Kolbe A™ Index
Simply Wholehearted Enneagram Quiz
The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron
The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron
Your Enneagram Coach
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Good Work by Paul Millerd
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
The Snowball System by Mo Bunnell
Give to Grow by Mo Bunnell
Amy's Instagram
5 November 2024, 10:30 pm - 1 hour 24 minutes215: The Sparky Language Model
David & Mike revisit the topic of AI to consider what's changed in the last year and discuss how it can be helpful for those of us who strive to live a focused life.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
The 2025 FOCUSED Calendar | NeuYear.net
Focused #189: Focus & AI
Liminal Thinking by Dave Gray
Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick
Meet the Guys Dating A.I. Bots | Apple News
Spiral
Delphi
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Whisper Memos
Otter.ai
SaneBox
Grammarly
A System for Writing by Bob Doto
Focused #209: A System for Writing, with Bob Doto
RØDECaster Video | Video and Audio Production Console
Gridfinity
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
22 October 2024, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 19 minutes214: Solving Gnarly Problems, with Clarke Ching
Clarke Ching ("The Bottleneck Guy") joins us to talk about finding solutions and fixing systems, both personally and professionally.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Guest Starring:
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Clarke Ching | The Bottleneck Guy
LifeHQ | Practical PKM
Simple Marketing For Smart People by Billy Boras and Tiago Forte
The Goal: 40th Anniversary Edition by Eliyahu Goldratt
Rolling Rocks Downhill by Clarke Ching
Kolbe.com | Home of the Kolbe A™ Index
Unique Ability | Find Your Purpose In Life And Define Your Best Self
Why Every Racoon Needs an Architect
The Bottleneck Detective Bootcamp (free email course)
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Hyperefficient by Mithu Storoni
Good Work by Paul Millerd
Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks
How to Manage Tasks in Obsidian | YouTube
Morgen Calendar and Task Manager
Motion
Clarke Ching | LinkedIn
CorkScrew Solutions: by Clarke Ching
The Bottleneck Rules by Clarke Ching
8 October 2024, 8:30 pm - 1 hour 7 minutes213: Developing Skills
David & Mike discuss deliberate practice and the art of skill development — for both fun and profit.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Relay for St. Jude
LifeHQ | Practical PKM
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Peak by Anders Ericsson
Plotter USA
The Ugmonk Pen
Kuru Toga
Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks
Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves
24 September 2024, 7:45 pm - 1 hour 22 minutes212: Living the Llama Life, with Marie Ng
Llama Life founder Marie Ng joins us to talk about the relative time-boxing, the importance of systems, and eating your productivity vegetables.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Guest Starring:
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Relay for St. Jude
Two Years | 512 Pixels
Llama Life | Find Your Focus
TickTick
Todoist
Notion
Day One
Topo | The Not-Flat Standing Desk Anti-Fatigue Mat
Analog™ by Ugmonk
Gather by Ugmonk
Focused #204: Analog Productivity, with Jeff Sheldon
Plotter USA
Marie Ng 🦙 (@threehourcoffee) | Twitter
10 September 2024, 4:45 pm - 1 hour 27 minutes211: The Focus MOB
David & Mike consider the role of Margin, Ownership, and Boundaries in the pursuit of living a focused life.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Focus Like a Boss
Margin by Richard Swenson
Good Work with Barrett Brooks
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky
Focused #70: Digital Decluttering, with Shahid Kamal Ahmad
RØDECaster Duo
Totebook | Studio Neat
Plotter USA
The Ritual Effect by Michael Norton
Simple Marketing For Smart People by Billy Boras and Tiago Forte
27 August 2024, 4:00 pm - More Episodes? Get the App
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