SASM 018 – Productivityists and Asking the Right Questions with Mike Vardy

by | Mar 21, 2013

Mike VardyMike Vardy brings a lot to the party.

Or show. Or event. Or the Internet in general.

In this episode of the Smart and Simple Matters (SASM) show, I welcome Mike to join me for a chat that bounces between wise, goofy, and practical dynamite.

I've been impressed with Mike for a while now – even before I knew he existed (you'll have to listen to understand how that's possible). His new book, The Front Nine, builds on a resume that already includes being a prolific podcaster, respected public speaker, and in some circles, a pretty great dad.

So it should be no surprise when Mike comes up with memorable words during our chat like this:

Being a productivityist becomes more about the ‘why to do' instead of the ‘how to do.' So you become more mindful. You start to make choices that are based about the things that you really want to as opposed to the things you have to do.

You can find Mike's writing in many places now, but don't go searching for his 3rd grade science serial masterpiece or his 8th grade novella The Green Thang and All. He's evolved significantly since those formative writing days and has better things to offer the world now…like this great conversation.

What You'll Learn

Besides understanding why Mike and I reference the song Baby Got Back a few times, you'll learn a ton of practical stuff in this one.

In this episode you'll learn about:

  • How being a productivityist helps with simplifying, organizing, and being money wise.
  • Why “Why?” is the best question to ask … and when.
  • The meaning of a “status battle” and how that grows into something bigger.
  • What it's like to focus on getting the right things done.
  • How to use productivity to go from training wheels to tricking out your bike.
  • What's worse than an abandoned spreadsheet (hint: probably not what you think).
  • How to start your new year at any point … and hit it hard and heavy.
  • Creating a template to evaluate whether new experiences are worth it.
  • Why journaling can be a huge step in connecting to what's truly important.

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Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode Include:

Topics

  • [04:25] Mike's “seeds of awesomeness”
  • [11:40] How being a productivityist helps with simplifying, organizing, and being money wise
  • [20:32] “How crazy is Joel,” Mike's book The Front Nine, and using golf as a metaphor
  • [27:15] How Mike uses spreadsheets and for what
  • [30:49] Curating, journaling, and using a working template for evaluating new experiences
  • [41:18] The lighter side of life, comedy, and some chuckles

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Transcript

The transcript will not be available until I find a new transcriptionist (if you know someone good, let me know).

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