The Focus Cast
On The Focus Cast, our mission is to help you reduce distractions and increase focus so you can live a life with intention. We are both entrepreneurs and share our habits and tactics to increase focus so we can accomplish our goals.
The Focus Cast
#97 Productivity Tools We Use to Stay Focused
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🚀 Supercharge Your Focus and Productivity with the Right Tools 🧰
Are you overwhelmed by the constant information deluge and desperately seeking a way to streamline your tasks? You're not alone! Join us as we navigate the productivity maze and unveil the game-changing tools and systems that can revolutionize your work and life.
📧 Managing Digital Chaos 📧
Discover how we tame the email beast, conquer digital clutter, and keep our inboxes from spiraling out of control. Learn firsthand from our experiences, so you can take back control of your digital life.
🎙️ The Power of Content Distribution 🎙️
Explore how services like Buzzsprout can be your secret weapon in distributing your content efficiently. Whether you're launching a business, producing a podcast, or simply juggling multiple tasks, we've got you covered.
💿 The Great Streaming Service Showdown 💿
We don our "nerd" hats and engage in a lively debate on streaming platforms. From Spotify's user-friendly interface to its impact on artists, we compare the pros and cons of platforms like Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Apple Music. Find out which platform aligns best with your preferences.
🤣 Join the Fun 🤣
Expect a dose of self-deprecating humor, some thought-provoking insights, and a lot of laughs along the way. Together, we'll tackle productivity head-on, leaving you with a clearer perspective and ready to take on your tasks like a pro.
Don't miss out on this enlightening and entertaining discussion! Tune in now to supercharge your focus and productivity. 🚀🧰 #Focus #ProductivityTools #DigitalClutter #StreamingServices
Productivity Tools and Systems
Speaker 1Bro, what you got? Welcome to episode 97. Dang the focus cast.
Speaker 2Almost out of Hyundai, I know this round of episodes.
Speaker 1We're just doing a little recap. We're coming towards the end of the year and our hundredth episode anniversary. We're just trying to wrap it up. Yeah, we're wrapping up this season.
Speaker 2So we're doing some low, low barrier to entry episodes? Yeah, I think no. We're just talking about what we've learned and what we've started using and implementing in our processes.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's like all the shit you see on social. Are people actually? Is that who they are or are they just talking about it? So I mean, we've talked about a lot of stuff over a hundred episodes. I thought it'd be cool just to kind of hit some of these subjects and then talk about, like, what's stuck with us.
Speaker 2What's stuck with us and where are we stuck?
Speaker 1Yes, because that's 2024's goal, 2024's goal 2024 runner goals.
Speaker 2Sweet bro, I think that's it.
Speaker 1You want to start this yeah last episode we talked about Nutropix and cognitive enhancers. This time we're going to talk about productivity tools, some apps that we're using more around that productivity subject how our workflow, what we use for our workflow. Podcast, workflow tools, all that fun shit.
Speaker 2Nice, hell, yeah, all right, let's dig in, let's roll Jonathan Noel.
Speaker 1And I'm Brian Noel. This is the Focus Cast, where we help you reduce distractions, increase focus so you can live a life with intentions. So yeah, I mean, you know we've talked about this quite a bit. It comes up on a lot of episodes. You know people are distracted because of information overload. Yep, people have poor time management skills.
Speaker 2Yeah, lack of motivation.
Speaker 1Yeah, lack of motivation, that's a good one. A lot of that has to do with their psyche and their health and yeah, all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2Yeah, potentially the poison the food that's basically poisoned with the glyphosate and everything around us is chemical based chemical poison basically and relationship under chemical warfare but yeah you know, just a couple of those things, no big deal, just a couple of those things. Yeah, and multitasking.
Speaker 1Yeah, so we're trying to do it all trying to do it all.
Speaker 2Doing nothing, doing a whole lot of nothing.
Speaker 1Well, and I you know, if you look at some of the economic reports and just how like the cost of living versus the income increase and how I think I saw a stat the other day that said um, I can't remember the percentage, I'm not even going to quote it, but it was pretty high percent of Americans that have two full time jobs, 80 hours a week, just trying to make make ends meet. It's fucked up. Yes, it's pretty wild.
Speaker 2So yeah, so anyway, that's uh. Yeah, it's not good.
Speaker 1So a lot of people are just trying to figure out you know what's that side hustle that might turn into a main muscle? Yeah, a main hustle, that's right, you know. So, um, you know, we're all trying to figure out ways to be efficient with the things we have to do so we can spend more time doing the things we want to do, yep, or the things that will put us in the position that we're doing more of what we want to.
Speaker 2So it's like trying to be efficient is a never ending goal. Yeah, which is great. Yeah, how can we make all the systems work better? Yeah, and faster.
Speaker 1There was a podcast by Rob Deirdic and he was talking about um, which he's the ridiculousness guy. Yeah, pro skater, a long time ago he was on Robin big um fun factory. What was that one called? Uh, yes, fantasy fantasy factory, um, but he's he was talking about and he's like a. He's like an insane guru. Now Go listen to some of his podcasts Very, very inspiring and he's just the coolest, nicest guy. But um, he's saying about how they feel in ridiculousness and when they started it was um took all day to do two episodes.
Speaker 1And now they're doing like six episodes and like a four hour block, something like that. Yeah, he just said I'm just relentless about building out systems to increase output and reduce time. So so yeah, as we kind of round out the year, we've been building systems around the podcast. We've been building systems around Going out and for a forerunner gunner and getting show, getting content and yeah, in that back Been building systems around making music. Yeah, the building systems around, launching a footwear company.
Speaker 1Building systems around building systems yeah there's been a lot of just kind of getting things Figured out.
Speaker 2Yeah, I remember when we've, when we first got this, this studio, yeah, and we weren't doing it on the phone anymore. Yeah, all of a sudden we had like we were trying to do four camera angles. Yes, so I was editing Four angles should be like back and forth between us and then like an overhead. Yeah, yeah, and it's just Eventually. It's like why?
Speaker 1yeah now it's one one camera, one camera, yeah you know what fuck this. I mean it's audio first. People are listening more than they are watching. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2I mean, we're really interesting and, you know, cool to look at as we stare at each other. But I'm not sure how many people are watching the episodes just a couple cougars, bro, just a couple cougs out there.
Speaker 1So yeah, we're just gonna want to hit some of our systems and yeah, I think for the podcast, one of the greatest things you found was Buzzsprout.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean Buzzsprout's a great host, yeah.
Speaker 1It pushes it out to all the distribution channels. Yeah, and I've not used another one, but yeah, it works, yeah, and now they've got a new AI Tool yep helps you with titles and description and timestamps exactly and we don't use all of it, everything that they produce, but at least it helps.
Speaker 2Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1So that's been a. I mean that system alone for the podcast. Oh yeah, it's a. Yeah, you know we're Adobe suite people for the editing and things like that, but um, yeah, at the whole, this year has definitely been an Adobe kind of jumpstart.
Speaker 2Well, yeah, cuz. Then now I have, like I put in my custom shortcuts where it's like all the shit you need is like right there, super quick. Yeah and I can sit there and chop, splice whatever, render Way faster way faster, way faster, nice.
Speaker 1And then for our content calendar and task management, we use a tool called ClickUp, which I was introduced to in the last company that we sold out of, and it's one of my Favorite. It's essentially a form of a Kanban board, your traditional Kanban board or agile board, and but I, I love it. So we got a content calendar. You know, we, we, yeah, I'm a fan of ClickUp as well. Yeah, we brainstorm, we create a card for different ideas, and then we record it, we move it down till it's done.
Speaker 2It's perfect, honestly, for anyone who has, if you're doing anything that has like multiple steps. Yeah it's amazing, yeah, cuz you create the card or task order, whatever what do you want to call it Mm-hmm? And you just move it down the line. Okay, it's now, it's, it's an idea, now it's recorded, now it's uploaded and now it's done. You know all that shit.
Speaker 1Yeah, and I think, for if anyone's tried any of those, there's Trello, there's, I think, a Jira. What was that other one? You were using base camp base camp which every time I try it, I always end up abandoning base camp. Yeah, I was one of the most popular ones, but I like ClickUp. Yeah, I mean, but they all work yeah you know it's better than nothing, it's better than having like pieces of paper all over your yeah, that you lose and you have to rewrite over and over again.
Speaker 2It's like sticky notes on your desk, that kind of fall off and like end up in the trash.
Speaker 1So, yeah, I think the other habit for me is, as far as productivity, work, g-suite, but I just, I am relentless about my calendar. Yeah it, my calendar reflects my day always. Yeah every moment.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm stepping into that world more.
Speaker 1I'm not as.
Speaker 2I'm not like Brian.
Speaker 1We had an episode on time blocking and that was months ago, months ago now and you were like I should probably start using the calendar.
Speaker 2No, I said I actively time block or actively block time blocking, and I have been yeah, and it is nice. It's nice to just look at the month and see all the big trips and then yeah. You know it's. It makes you feel better, because then you're not like oh wait, when is this shit happening again? That's what I did for years. I'm like I know there's something happening October.
Speaker 1You're like on Saturday and I'm like, bro, are you in town next or you want to go for a ride next week? And you're like, yeah, man. And then you text me. You're like I'm going to the beach for a week. Forgot that was next week. Basically yeah, no well, it really became critical because we started planning all these forerunner gunner trips.
Speaker 2We were like.
Speaker 1You know we're doing those once a month now, you know. So that was like that was a major calendar impact and I like having a calendar.
Speaker 2It feels nice. You know me, I'll admit it.
Speaker 1You. Let me tell you a funny story of calendars. What's that so? My wife has always had a paper calendar. Mm-hmm and I was. I was like, babe, you need a digital counter, you need a digital counter. So she found one and she started using it and she's she's like fully got into it and then, like it, deleted all of her stuff. Now she's back to the paper.
Speaker 2Well, now she has both, okay but, I say that wouldn't happen on Google.
Managing Emails and Organizational Efficiency
Speaker 1I feel like yeah, I don't remember what it was or how it happened, but she was just like it was hilarious because she's like see Told you told you it wasn't gonna work. Oh, it was funny. She's like now I don't remember. Oh my gosh, and then I'm. I'm one of those email people like Zero in box.
Speaker 2I unsubscribe to anything I don't want yeah, sometimes you got to go through and trim all that shit out. Yeah, it just happens.
Speaker 1Yeah, I just can't. I can't look for the one thing I need among 20 things that I don't need. I just can't do that.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's obnoxious, so I just unsubscribe from your see people's cell phone and you see like 10,000 unread emails right on their home screen.
Speaker 1Yeah, I feel like this is me judging them because I'm not them, so this is total judgment and bias and mostly probably wrong maybe. But I feel like there's like it's like the big truck, you know. It's like how small is your penis? You know we have like an obnoxiously large truck and you got the nuts hanging out the back, yeah, and like you're like stomping on the gas and diesel smokes coming out every year glad to having 10,000 unread emails. I think there's a flex there. No, I think it's a flex.
Speaker 2I think it's people who just don't care.
Speaker 1But how? How can you even?
Speaker 2They're just too late, not lazy, but they just don't go in and clear it out.
Speaker 1Turn that fucking notification off. See, this is why I know it's a me problem and not a damn problem.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean, I think. But I think, do you not? How you're reading it is way different than how I read it.
Speaker 1I read. It is like you know someone looks at your phone and you've got 10,000 unanswered text. I feel like people are flexing, like everyone wants to talk to me and I don't talk to them.
Speaker 2I'm talking about 10,000 unread emails. I'm saying someone who Gave their email out to 50 different websites. They never unsubscribed and now they're just getting blasted and they never went through and just cleared the inbox. Yeah.
Speaker 1So the notifications on their phone where you can see it. You know what I'm talking about. Yes, yes, how many unread emails they have. Yeah so I can't my phone number. What I have? Zero notifications on zero.
Speaker 2Yeah zero.
Speaker 1Number two I don't. Those bubbles don't show up on any of my icons you turn them off. I turned them off because I would. I Would, after look forOver-Srzyd's, immediately look at every single one that came in.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Because I'm a zero, in box zero, notification zero. I keep everything at zero, so anyway.
Speaker 2Well interesting. It just goes to show that people interpret situations differently.
Speaker 1Hey, we fill in the gaps. We did that episode a couple of episodes ago where we write our own narratives.
Speaker 2Yep, absolutely.
Speaker 1We get a little bit of fact and write a ton of fiction and believe it.
Speaker 2It's just the human experience.
Speaker 1Yeah, the other tool that I've used for probably 10 years now is Evernote. So Evernote's an online notes taking system app on your phone and desktop and Chrome extension. But I throw all like my bills and all that kind of shit I get digitally that I don't want to, that I want to keep a record of, and I can just I can get a bill and just snap a button and it goes off into my Evernote land. So I've got documents from forever ago.
Speaker 2Yeah, so for some reason you're audited. Worst case scenario yeah, you can't trust the bank.
Speaker 1If the bank goes down and they're like you didn't have $20,000 and you have to prove it.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1You know so shit like that.
Speaker 2Yeah, there's definitely some stuff, something that bank would do. Yeah.
Speaker 1I think that actually happened to our dad. He paid off the house and they told him he didn't. Yes, it takes steps.
Speaker 2I remember that story.
Speaker 1And they were like oh okay, sorry, we got that wrong?
Speaker 2Yeah, imagine if you didn't have this, didn't?
Speaker 1have this stuff, yeah, and you're like no, I paid it off, I know I won't take your house away.
Speaker 2So Then you end up with the killdozer, the guy who put the armor around the bulldozer and yeah and took off, Took him and went towards city hall Killdozer in that in the original movie of Mary Poppins, where the bank was trying to take people's houses.
Speaker 1Yeah, see, the story's been around for a while. I don't know why banks have a bad name.
Speaker 2Why do people hate the banks? I thought they were good, yeah. Yeah, I don't use it every now, but yeah, sounds effective, yeah.
Speaker 1It's been around a while, it's just table.
Speaker 2Yeah, 60 bucks a year.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's not bad. That's all the main stuff, yeah.
Speaker 2The roadcaster. That's more gear related.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2That's not efficiency, but it is nice.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean, if we talk about some of the gear we bought, that's super efficient for the podcast.
Speaker 2I think it's great because you just plug in the card, we have our sounds. Yeah, it's pretty efficient. Yeah, so we have our sounds, our intro, blah, blah, blah. I don't have to go in Adobe and add it.
Speaker 1I mean we just hit the buttons yeah.
Speaker 2So that's, great.
Speaker 1Thank you. Yeah, that definitely saves some time, so anyway yeah, that's pretty much, I think that's it.
Speaker 2Yeah that we use.
Speaker 1That's the main stuff I use audible. I've, I've, I've wanted to consume more books for a long time, so, but now I've just learned that, like when I can't read, I wouldn't read you know mm-hmm so and and my brain is I have to have complete silence when, I read, because I'll just not be able to focus and that's hard right now.
Speaker 1Yeah, we live in a small house, but, um, so anyway. So reading a book when I can, and then audible, definitely crushing some stuff there. And then what's the main podcast app to use? Spotify, yeah.
Spotify User Experience Discussion
Speaker 2Just everything on Spotify. Even though they're horrible to artists, they don't pay shit.
Speaker 1Yeah, you know both sides of that coin. You don't get paid shit, but you use it all the time.
Speaker 2Hey, they provide a service that I like I've had Spotify paid like. I've been paying for it since like 2014.
Speaker 1Wow, have they ever reached out to you and said thank you?
Speaker 2I don't know, probably they probably send that email once a year. I Just don't look at it because I don't clear my inbox.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's true. What is it Spotify? It's a Shitty for artists, but we keep paying to use it.
Speaker 2Yeah, what does that say about me?
Speaker 1Well, I was just thinking that's like our government.
Speaker 2Oh.
Speaker 1We keep paying.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's true. That's an abusive relationship.
Speaker 1Yeah that's what that is. But as far as streaming and Finding any song in every song in the world and the user experience, obviously that's why they've done such a great job, because it's a great UI.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's decent, I don't know. Sometimes it's irritating, like when you go to an artist and you just want to look at the discography, yeah and. But I don't know, I have to time. I'm looking at shit while I'm driving, so maybe that's why it's inefficient to me.
Speaker 1Well, have you ever used Apple podcast? No. Have you ever used SoundCloud? No. Have you ever used Apple music? No, I Spotify is one of the better ones. Yeah, because they're worse. So I believe it, in my opinion, different, different clicks for different chicks, different strokes for different folks. Yeah, there it is, and that really works for both strokes and clicks. Yeah, for you a UI joke or UI saying damn, we better leave because it's getting nerdy. Yeah, all right, we out.
