Listen to Season 1 of Secrets of the Most Productive People

Trailer

Join Fast Company editors Kate Davis and Anisa Purbasari Horton as they try to figure out how to get it all done. In this biweekly podcast, they sort out fact from fiction on things like multitasking, sleep, and email, and get expert advice on how to work smarter instead of harder.

Episode 1: What’s ruining your sleep?

In this first episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, Deputy Editor Kate Davis and Assistant Editor Anisa Purbasari Horton dive into what’s ruining their sleep (anxious mind and toddler, respectively), and then expert Gary Zammit, executive director of the Sleep Disorders Institute, joins them and offers some solutions.

Episode 2: How can you focus in an open office?

In this episode, Davis and Purbasari Horton talk about their struggles with working in an open office, and the workarounds that work for them.

Episode 3: Is striving for inbox zero worth it?

There are two types of people in the world: Those who have hundreds or even thousands of unread emails, and those who break out in hives just thinking about that first group. In this episode, Davis and Purbasari Horton discuss their inbox habits and bring in organizational expert and productivity coach Janine Sarna-Jones for inbox management strategies.

Episode 4: Can you really unplug on vacation?

Taking a vacation is not a given in our work culture, and if you do, it’s likely that you’ll check a few work emails here and there. But not taking the time to disconnect can actually make you less productive. In this week’s episode, Davis and Purbasari Horton get advice from organizing and productivity consultant Julie Morgenstern.

Episode 5: It is possible to multitask?

You probably spend many of your working hours multitasking–whether you realize it or not. Does working with multiple tabs open or eating your lunch in front of your screen really cause your productivity to suffer? Davis and Purbasari Horton bring this question to the University of Texas at Austin psychology professor Art Markman and learn how to break multitasking habits for good.

Episode 6: Are some times of the day better to work than others?

Some of us are not just that productive in the morning, and forcing us to concentrate at a 9 a.m. meeting is a recipe for a wasted day. Fortunately, there are ways to get around this dilemma if you don’t have complete control of your schedule. This week Davis and Purbasari Horton chat with Dan Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing to discuss the science of chronobiology and how we can all benefit from being a little bit more aware of when we do things.

Episode 7: How can we improve our willpower?

Researchers have long debated whether or not our willpower and decision-making capacity is finite. One thing is clear, though–not all decisions are created equal–and some will require more brain juice than others. Decision-making expert Sheena Iyengar joins Davis and Purbasari Horton to tell us about how we can train ourselves and structure our lives to to make better decisions.

Episode 8: How can we feel less busy?

Telling someone you’re “busy” is a surefire way to shut down the conversation. This is how you can change the way you look at your time and life. As this week’s guest, author and time management expert Laura Vanderkam, tells us, we all have more time than we think.

Episode 9: How can we make and break habits?

When it comes to making or breaking habits, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. As best-selling author Gretchen Rubin tells us, it all comes down to how you respond to expectations. Learn some habit-building strategies along with how your personality type affects what tactics you should take when trying to make or break habits.

Episode 10: Is work-life balance possible?

In our always-connected universe, achieving work-life balance can seem impossible. In this final episode of season one, Tiffany Dufu insists that to feel at peace, we need to learn to let go of our high expectations and forgive ourselves from falling short from time to time.

Bonus live show: productivity myths busted

Are morning people more productive than night owls? Do successful people have to give up work-life balance? Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman and time management expert Laura Vanderkam busted some of the biggest productivity myths at the Fast Company Innovation Festival.