Focused
Relay
Relay
David Sparks and Mike Schmitz are not nearly as productive as they’d like to be. Join these fellow travelers (and a bunch of special guests) as they share the best ways to get focused, and talk through their successes and failures along the way. Hosted by David Sparks and Mike Schmitz.
3d ago
Patrick Rhone is back to talk about his love for calendars and why curiosity is essential if you want to become a knower of things. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Incogni : Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Indeed : Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. Guest Starring: Patrick Rhone Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. YouTube video for this episode Patrick's website Enough by Patrick Rhone Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things Whoa to Wow BusyCal Pocket Briefcases | Levenger Analog™ | The original to-do system by Ugmonk Nanami Seven Seas Tomoe River Notebooks GTD Guided Mindsweep Patrick's Now page The Nathan Barry Show | How To Live a Meaningful Life Using Design Thinking The episode Mike mentions where the authors tell us to "stop shoulding ourselves." Trello ProWritingAid: The Storyteller's Toolkit YearCompass Excalidraw Obsidian plugin Sketch Your Mind Derek Sivers Hunter Gatherer 21C How to Beat ChatGPT by Nicholas Bate Daily MEDS by Nicholas Bate The Notebook by Roland Allen
Dec 2
David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace : Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Incogni : Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Video for this episode Focused YouTube channel Give the Gift of Relay The Focused Calendar Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Time Timer The Personal Retreat Planner The Blanc Media 8-Week Work Cycle with Sabbaticals Focused #239: How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson Focused #225: Tiny Experiments, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff Focused #232: Useful Not True, with Derek Sivers Focused #242: The Case for Analog 1911 KOP Ebonite Naginata-Togi Fountain Pen Pen Review: Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with PO Nib | The Gentleman Stationer Diamine Writer's Blood Ink Review | The Pen Addict Why My Platinum Century 3776 Fountain Pens Have Architect Grinds | Chicana Writes Ink Review #189: Robert Oster Bondi Blue | Mountain of Ink Rolls MS111 Mic Switch Latching or Momentary Microphone Mute Switch | Amazon Toxic Grit by Amanda Goetz Apple in China by Patrick McGee
Nov 19
Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Indeed : Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. Guest Starring: Thom Gibson Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Work-From-Home Dads Kolbe A™ Index Takes Two Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Plus Minus Next Journaling | Ness Labs Moleskine Notebooks Pilot G2 0.7mm Black Fine Retractable Gel Ink Pen Rollerball | Amazon Day Pass by Sling TV Explore Stream Deck | Elgato Sparky's BIonics | YouTube The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday Focused #239: How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway The WFH Dad’s 6-Hour Workday Playbook
Nov 4
David & Mike revisit the role of analog in their focused workflows and share some of their favorite analog tools. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace : Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Gusto : Payroll, HR, Benefits. Simplified. Get 3 months free. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide (Expert) Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide (Essentials) The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard | Pam A. Mueller, Daniel M. Oppenheimer, 2014 Focused #83: Ideas Over Art, with Mike Rohde The Sketchnote Handbook by Mike Rohde Focused #196: Focus & The Reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf The Brain vs. The List A Guide to Sketchnoting on iPad (using GoodNotes) | The Sweet Setup The Personal Retreat Planner The 2026 Focused Calendar Obsidian Morgen The Capture System | Ugmonk Goodnotes reMarkable 2 Plotter Mildliner Analog | Ugmonk Field Notes Day One Blackwing pencils rOtring 800+ Kuru Toga mechanical pencils Mitsubishi Pencil K9852EWHB Weekly Schedule Refill 2026 PLT0002 (A5 Size) Hobonichi Techo 2026 Official Website Otoño Blend | Intelligentsia Coffee Ruby Coffee Roasters Ottomatic® 2.0 | Chemex Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath Switch by Chip & Dan Heath Decisive by Chip & Dan Heath Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday
Oct 21
Freelance business coach Austin L. Church joins us to talk about avoiding burnout and building more sustainable systems. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Incogni : Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Gusto : Payroll, HR, Benefits. Simplified. Get 3 months free. Indeed : Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. Guest Starring: Austin Church Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. The 2026 Focused Calendar Freelance Cake Content Entrepreneur Expo Free Money by Austin L. Church Essentialism by Greg McKeown Time Anxiety by Chris Guillebeau Who Not How by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy Full Focus Planner The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Duolingo FC™ 26 Mildliner $100M Money Models by Alex Hormozi Sponsor Magnet by Justin Moore Austin L. Church | LinkedIn
Oct 7
David & Mike attempt to end 2025 on a high note by reviewing the last quarter and planning the next one. Also, Mike made a planner. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace : Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Incogni : Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Gusto : Payroll, HR, Benefits. Simplified. Get 3 months free. HelloFresh : Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for Life! Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. The Personal Retreat Planner The 2026 Focused Calendar Mike's essay on Cranking vs. Creating Productivity Field Guide 2025 (Standard Edition) Mike's Personal Book Notes Obsidian Vault Content Entrepreneur Expo Lulu | Online Self-Publishing Book & Ebook Company Tilt Publishing Bookworm #232: Published by Chandler Bolt Anderson Pens Closing Announcement | YouTube Cardinal Pens & Paper (formerly Anderson Pens) Plotter Quartet app iReal Pro The Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu Yanagi Time Anxiety by Chris Guillebeau
Sep 23
Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Incogni : Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Zocdoc : Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free. Indeed : Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast. 1Password : Discover SaaS applications, automate lifecycle management, and optimize SaaS spend. Guest Starring: Donald Robertson Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Donald's Substack (Newsletter + Podcast) How to Think Like Socrates by Donald J. Robertson How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald J. Robertson All of Donald's books Meditations by Marcus Aurelius The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
Sep 10
David & Mike catch up on listener feedback, including how to say no more often, deep vs. shallow work, and when to abandon a focus area. Also, David made an app?!? This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Nexos.ai : All-in-one AI platform for enterprises. Get a 14 day free trial now. Squarespace : Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Incogni : Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. HelloFresh : Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for Life! Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Relay for St. Jude Practical PKM (Mike's Newsletter) David's Newsletter The No List (David's app) Knitting Your Parachute | MacSparky Focused #237: Everything is Figureoutable, with Max Roberts Mike's YouTube channel Practical PKM Hybrid Cohort The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey Eat That Frog! Fourth Edition by Brian Tracy ChatGPT's Impact On Our Brains According to an MIT Study | TIME Field Notes | Memo Books, Notebooks, Journals & Planners The Capture System | Ugmonk Numerics Zapier: Automate AI Workflows, Agents, and Apps The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul Focused #146: The Extended Mind, with Annie Murphy Paul Nintendo Switch 2 Zelda Breath of the Wild Upgrade Pack How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson
