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Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Beyond the To-Do List is a productivity podcast hosted by Erik Fisher. Each week, Erik sits down with experts, authors, and creatives to explore time management, habits, focus, deep work, work-life balance, mindset, and what it actually means to live and work well. The show has featured guests like David Allen, James Clear, Cal Newport, Gretchen Rubin, Seth Godin, and Daniel Pink — covering everything from getting th

Optimism: Why It’s a Behavior, Not a Mood with Michelle Gielan
Oct 2026 · 2 books
0:00 / 47:41
Cover of Broadcasting Happiness
Broadcasting Happiness
Michelle Gielan
the best selling author of broadcasting happiness ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Resilient Optimism: The Science of Sustaining a Positive Mindset in Tough Times
Resilient Optimism: The Science of Sustaining a Positive Mindset in Tough Times
Michelle Gielan
her new book is resilient optimism the science of sustaining a positive mindset in tough times ▶ tap to play from here
Focus, Sleep, and Stress: The 90-Minute Method Behind Better Work with Christian Poensgen
Oct 2026 · 2 books
0:00 / 59:43
Cover of Ultra-Productive: The 90-Minute Method to Optimize Focus, Sleep, and Stress
Ultra-Productive: The 90-Minute Method to Optimize Focus, Sleep, and Stress
Christian Punskin and Eric Partaker
they have a new book called ultra productive the ninety minute method to optimize focus sleep and stress ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Deep Work
Deep Work
Cal Newport
and i don't know about you but when i first um read or at deep work which came out ten years ago i think ▶ tap to play from here
Simplicity: Confront, Delete, Amplify — Getting 50% More Done with 50% Less with Roy Schwartz
Oct 2026 · 3 books
0:00 / 48:02
Cover of Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less
Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz
that instinct became smart brevity it became a company and now it's a book he's co written with his axios co founders ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits
James Clear
i you know everyone's probably read you know the top five books you know whether it's atomic habits or good to great or you know and we've tried to implement what was in the book ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Good to Great
Good to Great
Jim Collins
i you know everyone's probably read you know the top five books you know whether it's atomic habits or good to great or you know and we've tried to implement what was in the book ▶ tap to play from here
Marriage Communication: Rules and Tools That Actually Work with Jackie Kelley
Oct 2026 · 1 book
0:00 / 53:34
SY
So, You Married a Human
Jackie Kelly
my guest today is jackie kelly author of so you married a human the totally doable unconventional guide to a thriving partnership ▶ tap to play from here
Work-Life Balance for Working Parents: What You Can Let Drop with Sarah Armstrong
Sep 2026 · 2 books
0:00 / 45:52
Cover of The Art of the Juggling Act, Bite-sized guide for working parents
The Art of the Juggling Act, Bite-sized guide for working parents
Sarah Armstrong
it's sarah armstrong author of the art of the juggling act bitesized guide for working parents ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of The Mom's Guide to a Good Divorce
The Mom's Guide to a Good Divorce
Sarah Armstrong
wrote a book prior to this book called the mom's guide to a good divorce ▶ tap to play from here
Goal Setting: Why Your Values Decide What You Finish with Chris Bailey
Sep 2026 · 5 books
0:00 / 56:02
Cover of How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times
How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times
Chris Bailey
the productivity project and hyper focus and how and how to calm your mind each one a little bit more wide than the last one ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Intentional: How to Finish What You Start
Intentional: How to Finish What You Start
Chris Bailey
he's got a new one out now called intentional how to finish what you start and it kind of reaches back and pulls all of it together ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance
Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance
Laura Vanderkam
lauren vandercam whose most recent book big time is about time scarcity is actually a bit of a fallacy ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy
The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy
Chris Bailey
two of my books hyper focus and the productivity project sawed the spines off of them scanned every single page and used that to code their models ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction
Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction
Chris Bailey
two of my books hyper focus and the productivity project sawed the spines off of them scanned every single page and used that to code their models ▶ tap to play from here
Creativity and Play: A Fuller Life Beyond Productivity with Rachael Renae
Sep 2026 · 1 book
0:00 / 55:51
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Prioritize Play: Express Your Creativity, Boost Your Confidence, and Foster Deeper Connection
Rachel Renee
she has a new book called prioritize play express your creativity boost your confidence and foster deeper connection ▶ tap to play from here
Self-Awareness: The Birkman Method and Working With How You're Wired with Lisa Marker-Robbins
Sep 2026
0:00 / 57:49
Mindset: Why Fixing Your Habits Won't Fix Your Self-Trust with Lester Clowes
Aug 2026 · 2 books
0:00 / 46:44
Cover of Stop Lying to Yourself
Stop Lying to Yourself
Lester Claus
so uh here's what made me want to have this conversation so back in january and i know you know this uh i did a solo episode on agency versus the illusion of control how to be on top of things uh how um how trying to be on top of things quietly turns into your selfworth and your your purpose and then we all know what happens a a a disruptive week starts to feel like a personal failure and you emailed me and basically you said look the failure is almost never the system it's it's ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of The Gap and the Gain
The Gap and the Gain
Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy
one of my favorite books is the gap in the game highly recommend it you know for for anyone uh listening ▶ tap to play from here
Burnout: Why Thought Load, Not Workload, Is Draining You with Liane Davey
Aug 2026
0:00 / 52:27
Creativity: How Rest, Wonder, and AI Redefine Productivity with Natalie Nixon
Aug 2026 · 3 books
0:00 / 53:48
Cover of The Creativity Leap
The Creativity Leap
Natalie Nixon
so uh the new book is the second edition of the creativity leap and it's got a brand new chapter on working alongside ai ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Move, Think, Rest
Move, Think, Rest
Natalie Nixon
between the two of them you've basically drawn what i look at as like a map and the creativity leap says creativity is toggling between wonder and rigor but move think rest is how the movement the thought the rest make that toggle possible ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Wintering
Wintering
Catherine May
catherine may's book wintering and it reframed this whole idea of dormancy for you ▶ tap to play from here
Energy Management: What Johnny Carson Knew About Saying No with Mark Malkoff
Jul 2026 · 1 book
0:00 / 47:15
Cover of Love, Johnny Carson
Love, Johnny Carson
Mark Malkoff and David Ritz
his new book written with the biographer david ritz is love johnny carson ▶ tap to play from here
Time Management: Trading Time Scarcity for Abundance with Laura Vanderkam
Jul 2026 · 7 books
0:00 / 45:39
Cover of Big Time, A Simple Path to Time Abundance
Big Time, A Simple Path to Time Abundance
Laura Vanderkam
and her new book big time a simple path to time abundance might be her most important argument yet ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of War and Peace
War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy
what it looks like to read war and peace one chapter a day ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
Laura Vanderkam
you've written a hundred and sixty eight hours ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done
Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done
Laura Vanderkam
off the clock ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters
Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters
Laura Vanderkam
tranquility by tuesday ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of The Odyssey
The Odyssey
Homer
reading much like this the odyssey or a translation of the odyssey the best known translation ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Oliver Burkman
you somewhat take on oliver berkman pretty directly in his from his book and and you know in his four thousand weeks ▶ tap to play from here
Team Habits: How Small Actions Create Better Teams and Better Work with Charlie Gilkey
Jun 2026 · 4 books
0:00 / 46:59
Cover of Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done
Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done
Charlie Gilkey
he's the author of start finishing how to go from idea to done ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results
Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results
Charlie Gilkey
revisiting a deep dive conversation we had on his book team habits how small actions lead to extraordinary results ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits
James Clear
the one book that i can kind of think of that everybody kind of addresses when it comes to personal habits is atomic habits by james clear ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of The Progress Principle
The Progress Principle
Teresa Amabile
teresa amabile in the progress principal wrote that it's the small setbacks that happen fairly frequently that have an outsized impact on our morale ▶ tap to play from here
Mentoring: What Most People Get Wrong and How to Do It Right with Claire Diaz-Ortiz
May 2026 · 3 books
0:00 / 36:47
Cover of One Minute Mentoring
One Minute Mentoring
Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Ken Blanchard
it brought this episode back to mind about her book one minute mentoring that she coauthored with leadership expert ken blanchard ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Design Your Day
Design Your Day
Claire Diaz-Ortiz
i really did think about your book design your day as well as the present principle and the role that those play in this whole mentoring relationship ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of The Present Principle
The Present Principle
Claire Diaz-Ortiz
i really did think about your book design your day as well as the present principle and the role that those play in this whole mentoring relationship ▶ tap to play from here
Social Media Detox: How to Take a Break from Digital Overload and Get Your Focus Back
May 2026 · 3 books
0:00 / 26:02
Cover of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Cal Newport
cal newport in digital minimalism his book makes a point that i think is right ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Reconnected
Reconnected
Carlos Whitaker
this one is from carlos whitaker and his book reconnected ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of Indistractable
Indistractable
Nir Eyal
nir eal who's also been on the show about his book indistractable he makes this point really well ▶ tap to play from here
Retreat Rhythms: Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Practices for Renewal with John Drury
Apr 2026 · 2 books
0:00 / 48:58
Cover of Harry Potter
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
i went and like i don't know i read harry potter because all i knew how to do was read right ▶ tap to play from here
Cover of The Bible
The Bible
Various Authors - Compiled by Mark T
i only take the bible in english ▶ tap to play from here
Rule of Life: How Ancient Practices Can Transform Your Productivity and Rest with John Drury
Apr 2026
0:00 / 43:50
Productivity Without Burnout: Executing with Agency Instead of Illusion of Control
Jan 2026
0:00 / 20:30
Productivity A to Z 2025: Letters N Through Z with Mike Vardy
Dec 2025
0:00 / 58:20
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