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This week I’m joined by my friend Jeff Sieh of Social Media News Live to talk through the top productivity books for 2023. With the new year well underway I wanted to take the time to compile and curate a list of my favorite productivity books of the past year and share them with listeners. In this episode Jeff and I break down my list and share some of the many tips and takeaways that these books have given us. In addition Jeff and I discuss some of the highlights from the various authors' appearances on the show while offering up opinions on how each book benefits the different aspects of our productivity.  All books in the list below are available for purchase at: BeyondTheToDoList.com/books The Daily Creative: Find Your Inspiration to Spark Creative Energy and Fight Burnout by Todd Henry The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur: 366 Daily Meditations to Feed Your Soul and Grow Your Business by John Jantsch The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life by Allison Fallon Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential by Tiago Forte The Laws of Creativity: Unlock Your Originality and Awaken Your Creative Genius by Joey Cofone Creativity Inc.  The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before by Kendra Adachi Win at Work and Succeed at Life: 5 Principles to Free Yourself from the Cult of Overwork by Michael Hyatt and Meghan Hyatt-Miller Your New Playlist: The Student's Guide to Tapping into the Superpower of Mindset by Jon Acuff The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian P. Moran Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done - Charlie Gilkey When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times by Chris Bailey Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters by Laura Vanderkam Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal List of episodes mentioned on this week's show: Todd Henry on the Daily Practice of Creativity John Jantsch on Resilience, Perseverance and Perspective Allison Fallon on the Power of Writing for Clarity, Confidence and Purpose Tiago Forte on Building a Second Brain to Free Our Minds Joey Cofone on Applying the Laws of Creativity to Unlock Your Creative Genius Kendra Adachi on Prioritizing the Things That Matter Megan Hyatt Miller on How To Win at Work & Succeed At Life Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller on Mindset and Controlling the Narrative Jon Acuff on Teaching Teenagers to Remix Their Mindset to Reshape Their Reality Charlie Gilkey on How to Start Finishing Projects in Your Life and Go From 'Idea' to Done! Daniel Pink on Optimizing Your Day, Optimal Timing for Tasks and Maximizing Breaks Greg Mckeown on Making Essential Activities Easy Chris Bailey on How a Calm Mind Increases Productivity Laura Vanderkam on Making Time for What Matters Cal Newport on Digital Minimalism Nir Eyal on Overcoming Internal and External Distractions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome back to the show, Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt-Miller. Michael Hyatt is the founder and chairman of Full Focus. He has scaled multiple companies, including a $250M publishing company with over 750 employees and his own award-winning goal achievement and coaching company, Full Focus. Through his coaching program for small business owners, BusinessAccelerator®, and the bestselling Full Focus Planner, Michael has helped hundreds of thousands of achievers reach their biggest goals. He is also the author of several New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling books, including Platform, Living Forward, Your Best Year Ever, Free to Focus, The Vision Driven Leader, and Win at Work & Succeed at Life. Michael enjoys The Double Win with his wife of 40+ years, five daughters, and ten grandchildren. Megan Hyatt Miller is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Full Focus and the co-host of the popular Business Accelerator® podcast. As the chief executive of Full Focus, Megan has developed BusinessAccelerator® into the premier coaching program for small business owners, and has grown the Full Focus Planner to sell over 1 million copies. Megan is also Michael's oldest daughter. In their highly anticipated book, Mind Your Mindset: The Science That Shows Success Starts with Your Thinking (Baker Books, January 2023), New York Times bestselling author Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller teach readers how to save themselves needless frustration and headache from trying to solve problems with strategies that no longer work. "Rather than thinking about what we're doing," they say, "we need to think about our thinking." Mind Your Mindset draws upon the latest Insights in performance psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science, as well as case studies from Michael and Megan's own clients. Michael and Megan explore the power of our stories--stories about the problems we face-and how those narratives determine our strategy and, with it, our results They show how these stories are anchored in assumptions about the past, form our predictions of the future, and stem from the way our brain makes sense of the wild array of information it encounters every day. Rather than take those stories at face value, readers can change their stories, rewire their brain for better thinking, and develop new and better strategies. Mind Your Mindset offers three simple, proven steps to do just that and attain extraordinary results: 1. Identify the problem and the story surrounding it 2. Interrogate the story 3. Imagine something that works better These practices help readers cut through the fog of false narratives and offer clear, creative solutions for achieving their goals "Mind Your Mindset is your invitation to step boldly into a new and better way of thinking and living," write Michael and Megan. "Unsettling as it may be, uncertainty is not the enemy; it points not to chaos but to possibility. To have the confidence to engage the world and reshape our stories as needed is a far more valuable and reassuring asset than is certainty." Book Link: Mindyourmindsetbook.com/beyond Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm excited to share my conversation with Chris Bailey. Chris has been a guest on the show a number of times, and in this episode he unpacks the origins, research, and results of his new book, How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times.  This was a really timely conversation for me and I suspect it will be for you as well. Chris and I discuss the events that led up to him writing this book while exploring a number of techniques, and tips for finding presence and calm that he developed and practiced along that journey. We discuss digital fasting, the advantages of analog items for productivity, and how slowing down your lifestyle can often lead to speeding up your efficiency! Chris Bailey is a productivity expert, and the bestselling author of two books about productivity: Hyperfocus https://amzn.to/3iGCsCF, and The Productivity Project https://amzn.to/3CP2dHT. Chris writes about productivity at https://chrisbailey.com, and speaks to organizations around the globe on how they can become more productive, without hating the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome my old friend Matt McWilliams to the show to discuss his new book, Turn Your Passions into Profits: The Proven Path for Building a Rewarding Online Business. Matt is a successful entrepreneur and in-demand online business coach who specializes in helping entrepreneurs gain clarity on the exact steps it takes to start, grow, and monetize their online platform.  So many entrepreneurs either run a profitable business but hate their work or run a business they love, with a message they’re proud of, without making any money. There’s a better way to build a business, one that helps you wake up every day excited and full of purpose and make a profit. In this conversation Matt outlines the details on how to find and attract your audience, build a following, and ultimately how to monetize your venture quickly and sustainably. Matt shares a variety of stories from clients and entrepreneurs he has worked with through the years while illustrating how to build up the confidence necessary to share your message with the world while acquiring the tools and strategies needed to succeed with an online business and compete against established platforms. Book Link: passionsintoprofitsbook.com/erik Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm excited to re-share an episode I recorded almost two years ago with Ryan McRae. Ryan has had ADHD all of his life, but he wasn’t going to let it slow him down. He has worked hard to figure out how to take all the benefits and cancel out all the drawbacks of this condition that many people only associate with young people yet affects millions of adults as well. Ryan has been on the show previously to talk about ADHD, but in this conversation he and Erik talk about Setting resolutions and sticking to them. With the new year upon us many people are either setting or recommitting to resolutions for 2023. Though this practice is by no means unhealthy or unproductive, the act of setting resolutions can at times be demoralizing, resulting in more harm than good. In this hour Ryan and Erik talk about the power of setting realistic resolutions and how having grace and patience with yourself along the road of resolutions can result in more long-term and sustainable practices that will go far beyond 2023.  Ryan’s Guide to ADHD:  https://medium.com/the-adhd-nerd/the-ultimate-adhd-guide-to-time-management-232c9af94a3e Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I'm excited to re-release a conversation I had with Greg Mckeown. Greg is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less'. His latest book is 'Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most'. In addition to writing Greg is also the host of the 'What's Essential Podcast'. In this conversation, Greg talks about what essentialism is and making the most essential activities the easiest ones, so you can achieve the results you want, without burning out. We talk about turning tedious tasks into enjoyable rituals, setting a sustainable pace instead of having to power through and easy setting up of one time choices that eliminate many future decisions, simplifying processes, removing unnecessary steps, making relationships easier to maintain and manage. This is all under that umbrella of effortless making things that matter most easier to do and this is a great conversation and a great book to kick start that process in your life. In addition to discussing Essentialism, we talk about Greg’s follow up to that book, Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. This was such a powerful and timely conversation that centers on figuring out what matters most and then making it easier. As we head into 2023, I cannot imagine a more relevant productivity goal than that!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m thrilled to re-release this episode with Allison Fallon. Allison is an award winning author, sought after public speaker, and nationally recognized writing coach. She has coached hundreds of thousands of writers - from NYT Bestselling authors to total beginners to help them finally get their books written and on shelves. Her most recent book The Power of Writing Things Down walks anyone - even those who swear they aren't "real" writers - through a simple daily practice they can use to reduce anxiety, curb depression, improve their confidence and gain clarity in their life. Grab the first chapter free here. I wanted to bring this episode back out and top of mind moving forward into the new year because even though I don’t particularly subscribe to the idea of doing New Years Resolutions, I do believe in making progress and have been thinking about goals I want to push forward next year.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome Dr. Cassie Holmes to the show to discuss her new book, Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most. Cassie is a professor of marketing and behavioral decision making at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and is a renowned expert in the field of time and its correlation to happiness.  In this conversation Cassie guides listeners through a variety of insights and exercises she’s shared with MBA students in her wildly popular UCLA course. Dr. Holmes unpacks concepts such as time poverty, what it is, why it’s damaging, how it’s subjective, and ways you can quickly increase your time affluence. We discuss how the use of time tracking can easily and quickly guide those suffering from time poverty to a more fruitful, fulfilling and happier pace of life. In addition to sharing techniques and research that she has discovered while writing the book, Cassie also reveals some of the psychology and behavioral science that can lead to the sometimes overwhelming feelings of time poverty and the power of embracing quality time over mundane time-costs such as excess social media, and pseudo-work.  Follow Cassie’s Work: https://www.cassiemholmes.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm excited to reshare with you a conversation I had with Megan Hyatt Miller. Megan is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Full Focus, previously known as Michael Hyatt & Company, and the co-host of the popular business podcast, Lead to Win. She's the oldest daughter of Michael Hyatt, whose name you'll recognize because he's been on this show a number of times. I wanted to reshare this conversation because I've been thinking about it a lot lately for two reasons: She and Michael are coming back on the show in January to talk about their new book: Mind Your Mindset: The Science That Shows Success Starts with Your Thinking I've been thinking a lot lately on the topic of this conversation which is all about their previously co-authored book: 'Win at Work & Succeed At Life: 5 Principles to Free Yourself From the Cult of Overwork' In this conversation we talk about the five principles that help you rethink work and productivity from the ground up so that you can achieve what they call the Double Win.  We talk about those five principles, we talk about it from a high level, and then drill down into practical steps that you can take at home and at work to achieve true work-life balance and how to make that work for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm excited to share an episode of Social Media News Live in which my friend Jeff Seih interviewed yours truly about the process and productivity mindset for podcasting. I guess you could say these topics fall within the perfect venn diagram of two of my biggest interests. In this episode Jeff and I discuss a wide array of topics and hurdles that face anyone looking to start a podcast either for their professional career or simply as a hobby.  Topics include recruiting and working with guests, how much time per week you should spend on your podcast, how to set up and manage scheduling, and the importance of working with an editor. In addition to laying out many of the things I’ve learned in my ten years of hosting Beyond the To-Do List, Jeff and I also discuss some of the advice I would have given myself when I was just getting started! Jeff Sieh is an international speaker and visual marketing consultant, specializing in Pinterest, visual marketing, and video. He hosts the Social Media News Live show and podcast and is also “Head Beard” at Manly Pinterest Tips. Jeff has worked with and produced visual content for various companies, including Guy Kawasaki, Kim Garst, Social Media Examiner, and Tailwind. Link To a Video of this Episode: https://socialmedianewslive.com/podcast-productivity-with-erik-fisher-2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome Heather Adams to the show to discuss the many facets and benefits of both mentorship and becoming a mentor. Heather is the founder and CEO of Choice Media and Communications and host of the top-ranked podcast, Make Me Known. As a mentor too many Heather’s experience and passion for elevating the women around her has inspired her to take women under her wing and usher them into the next phase of their careers.  Through one-on-one conversations and group settings, Heather relies on her experience, having played an instrumental role in launching more than 100 New York Times bestsellers and securing clients' coverage in a host of national and international media outlets.  In this conversation we talk about the value of both finding a mentor and the rewarding experience of being one. In addition we discuss some of the barriers that prevent people from seeking out mentorship and talk through some of the ways that virtual mentorship is connecting people to both coaching and information like never before.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was privileged to welcome Michelle Segar to the show to discuss her new book The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise. Michelle is a researcher at The University of Michigan who studies sustainable behavior change and the science of habits. In this conversation Michelle unpacks the science behind our choices and explains how thinking around behavior change has often made the mistake of an all or nothing approach to changing our habits and lifestyle. The Joy Choice offers a fresh, brain-based solution that turns the old behavior-change paradigm on its head. This groundbreaking book liberates you from the self-defeating obligations and rigid requirements of past diet and workout regimens and reveals what emerging research suggests really drives the consistent choices that power sustainable change. Michelle Segar, PhD is an award-winning lifestyle coach and sustainable behavior change researcher at the University of Michigan. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable healthy behavior changes that are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership retention.   Website: https://michellesegar.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, I was inspired by a number of things to re-release this conversation that I had with Phil Rosenthal from his Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil started, which just released its sixth season. Aside from that Phil, is best known as the creator, writer, and executive producer for the sitcom Everybody loves Raymond.  In this conversation we talk about the importance of travel, food and relationships, and the creative process of pulling from your life to make things. All of this felt like a perfect storm for right now to re-release this episode.  I was inspired not only by seeing season 6 of Somebody Feed Phil released, but also thinking ahead to American Thanksgiving coming up soon, and the food aspect of that as well as I was talking to a friend, I recounted all the traveling that I had done this year, more traveling than I've done in. And of course the great food I had while traveling.  Mentioned in this episode: You’re Lucky You’re Funny Exporting Raymond I’ll Have What Phil’s Having Somebody Feed Phil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz to the show to discuss their new book, Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. This book instantly rocketed up my list of the best productivity books of the year! Golden reveals how to go beyond the ordinary rules and tools of mindfulness. It’s a field guide for navigating the noise of the modern world—not just the noise in our ears but also on our screens and in our heads. Drawing on lessons from neuroscience, business, spirituality, politics, and the arts, Marz and Zorn explore why auditory, informational, and internal silence is essential for physical health, mental clarity, ecological sustainability, and vibrant communities. Justin Zorn is a Senior Adviser to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a Truman National Security Fellow, and a strategic adviser for a variety of mission-driven businesses, think tanks, and advocacy groups. Leigh Marz an author, leadership coach, and collaboration consultant teaching experimental mindsets at NASA, Harvard, Google, IKEA, and the Green Science Policy Institute. Book: https://amzn.to/3BtYOgf Website: https://leighmarz.com/golden/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome Laura Vanderkam back to the show for her sixth appearance! Laura has been coming on Beyond The To Do List for the past ten years and this time she is here to talk about her newest book: Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters. In this conversation we address the nine “rules” for making more time in your hectic schedule while diving deep into three of the rules I could most intriguing.  This is a really insightful and practical conversation about simple suggestions for both gaining back your time and finding a greater sense of calm and purpose during your week. Laura addresses the research process for the book and points out how a test group of 150 people learned her rules and lived them out for 9 weeks providing practical and insightful feedback for people from all walks of life. Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including the new Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters, along with Juliet’s School of Possibilities, Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She is the host of the podcast Before Breakfast and the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com. Website: https://lauravanderkam.com Best of Both Worlds Podcast: https://lauravanderkam.com/podcast/ Before Breakfast Podcast: https://lauravanderkam.com/before-breakfast-podcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome Tara McMullen to the show to hear her insights, research, and reflections on her new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting. Tara is a writer, podcaster, and producer who for over 13 years has studied small business owners - how they live, how they work, what influences them, and what they hope for the future. In this conversation Tara shares with us how to transform the way you set and achieve your goals to create a gentler and more fulfilling way to work toward what you truly want. In the book, you’ll explore what’s driving your pursuit of “more” (more money, more things, more prestige, etc.), set commitments to help orient your growth, and organize your actions as part of a holistic learning process. In addition to writing and speaking Tara is the host of What Works, a podcast about navigating the 21st-century economy with your humanity intact. Tara is also the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a boutique podcast production company. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, The Startup, The Muse, and The Huffington Post. What Works Podcast:: https://www.whatworkspodcast.com Website: https://explorewhatworks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome Dr. Nicole Byers to the show to discuss the correlation between neuroscience and specifically neuropsychology with productivity and efficiency. Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge and research gained during her Ph.D. studies in clinical psychology to the world working by explaining some of the strange ways our brain copes with stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, and mood.  In this episode Nicole unpacks the four signs of procrastination while offering tips and tricks for rewiring our brain to avoid such behavior. In addition Nicole explains some of the science of sleep and why getting quality sleep is so important to our physiology and in turn our productivity! Dr. Nicole Byers is a productivity and leadership coach and host of The Bold Life Podcast. Boasting a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialty in neuropsychology, Nicole uses neuroscience-based strategies to help her clients boost their efficiency at work and defeat overwhelm so they can feel productive, not just busy. She has helped hundreds of busy professionals and leaders develop new mental habits. Now, Nicole helps busy professionals train their brain and create new mental habits, allowing them to beat overwhelm, become more productive, and build more confidence in their work and in their lives.  Website: https://www.drnicolebyers.com/ Bold Life Podcast: https://www.drnicolebyers.com/blog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was thrilled to welcome back to the show Joey Cofone of Baron Fig. You can find the previous episode here. Joey Cofone is the Co-Founder at Baron Fig. Baron Fig is a New York design startup that is rooted in its mission to champion thinkers around the world through inspiration, imagination and productivity.  Joey’s new book is ‘The Laws of Creativity: Unlock Your Originality and Awaken Your Creative Genius’. The book is a revealing and practical exploration of creativity: what it is, how it works, and how you can harness it in your everyday life. In the book he demystifies the creative process by uncovering the thinking and science behind it, empowering the reader with practical, actionable steps toward creative excellence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to speak with Melissa Urban about her new book, The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free. Melissa and I had an extremely insightful conversation about how setting healthy boundaries with family members, co-workers, friends and even yourself can transform your relationships, eliminate stress and improve your daily outlook.  In this chat, Melissa breaks down the vital steps towards identifying if a boundary needs to be set and the three unique levels of instituting a boundary with both honesty and kindness. Oftentimes we can think of boundaries as barriers towards achieving authentic relationships. Melissa is here to reveal why the exact opposite is the case and how when implemented properly boundaries can help save relationships and strengthen bonds. Melissa Urban is a six-time New York Times bestselling author and has been featured by Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and CNBC. She is based in Salt Lake City. Melissa is the co-founder of Whole30. Since launching the mega-bestselling wellness program, she has taught millions of people how to establish healthy habits and how to deal with pushback and peer pressure. Melissa’s Latest Book: The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free Connect with Melissa on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am rereleasing an episode with Joey Cofone of Baron Fig in advance of his upcoming new episode where we talk about his new book: The Laws of Creativity: Unlock Your Originality and Awaken Your Creative Genius. Joey Cofone is the Co-Founder at Baron Fig. Baron Fig is a New York design startup that is rooted in it’s mission to champion thinkers around the world through inspiration, imagination and productivity. In this conversation Joey and Erik talk about how Baron Fig was founded, the meaning behind the name and their design workflow using digital and analog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices