How Can I Be More Efficient With My Time? with Mike Vardy, The Productivityist

In my first podcast episode of 2023, I talked about financial seasons and how I’ve witnessed several Financial Gym clients. Honestly, I feel we’re not in what feels like a winning season and addressing the motivation challenges that come to us when we feel like that. Seasons change, though, and I’m sensing more energy from my clients, and I feel it in me to make changes, so I’m dedicating the month of April on this podcast to motivation and change.

This episode, as well as last week’s, addresses the topic of productivity. I feel like the pandemic threw many of our routines out the window, and where we may have gained time with less commuting and more work-from-home options, I think many of us have struggled with finding a good balance between life and work. Joining me today is Mike Vardy, coach and host of the Productivityist Podcast, to talk about the idea of Time Crafting and managing and crafting our days to work better for us. 

What are we drinking?

Mike - Boulevardier 

Shannon - Gin and Tonic 

Podcast Notes

What is Time Crafting and how did you start down this path?  

  • Time is always happening. It’s here before us, and when we’re gone, time moves on. We will manage our relationship with time until we no longer have any left. Instead of thinking about time happening to us, we are happening to time?   

  • Time Crafting is about aligning your intentions with your attention and energy. You have more agency over your intention than you do your time. 

  • Jeff’s time management and coaching practice blossomed from his days working at Costco. He wanted to figure out how to balance his work and personal life and started learning more about time management skills. 

  • What he learned at Costco was valuable in his future work, and he started to explore the blog and podcast space. Along the way, he started coaching and has been on this journey for fifteen years. 

  • The Covid-19 pandemic caused a shakeup in our lives, and there’s been an enormous shift in how people work. With this new relationship to time, many folks struggle to figure out how to craft it. People realized they were doing things because they had to, not because they wanted to. We long to spend our time in different ways now than we did before. 

  • Because flexibility is built in, Mike’s system has stood the test of time through the pandemic. 

How can we start Time Crafting? 

  • People are overwhelmed. They feel there is too much to do and insufficient time to complete it, and many people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day. 

  • This can lead to overcommitment. We say yes to projects or obligations because we think we have the time. 

  • Time management is a challenge. It feels like time is happening to us. Part of addressing these issues is managing expectations. If you’re feeling unbalanced, apply Time Crafting. 

  • This is a lifelong practice. The way you spend your time will change as your life changes. It’s constantly evolving. Don’t overdo it trying to map out every minute of the day. 

  • People often prioritize by the due date, which works until it bottlenecks. When that happens, we get distracted and move in the wrong direction. 

  • Try applying a theme to each day. For example, if Monday is admin day, and you wonder what to do on your list, you know to focus on the admin tasks. 

  • The feeling of overwhelm comes in several forms. The goal is to free up decision fatigue, not make managing time another item on your already long list of things to do. 

What are some tips we can integrate right now? 

  • Start with reflection. Every action should begin and end with reflection. In our work and life, we should seek contentment; reflection is an important step to get there. 

  • It’s about using a system that works for you and being flexible as life happens.   

  • Without editing or auditing, write down everything you need or want to do. Every task should begin with a verb. This helps your brain get into action mode. 

  • Once you have the list, look through it and batch them by project or shared activity. 

  • We aren’t great at prioritizing, so pick out the action items you can do with low energy or the ones that can be completed in five minutes or less. 

  • We’re trying to break the pattern of getting stuck in the details. The goal is to get out of analysis paralysis. 

  • Sometimes we’ve been doing things the way they’ve always been done. Don’t let the fear of judgment keep you from making a change. There is a better path forward; you just have to get started.

Resources Mentioned: 

Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is the concept of Time Crafting and if you haven’t explored it, I highly recommend it. Paying attention to it has certainly led me to work smarter and not harder and I think that’s something we could all benefit from.

Random Three Questions

  1. If you were given $50,000 for travel, where would you go?

  2. What is a show you’re currently binging?

  3. If this was your last meal on earth, what would it be?

Connect with Mike Vardy

Website: Productivityist

Podcast: The Productivityist Podcast

If you have any topics you would like me to cover on this podcast, or if you’d like to get in the financially naked hot seat, I encourage you to email me at Shannon@fingyms.com, or join the private Martinis and Your Money Face, and let me know what you want to hear.

A recent Financial Health Network study revealed that only 31% of Americans were financially healthy. Only 23% of women and only 15% of black people were. Financial health is a crisis in the US but it doesn’t need to stay that way. At the Financial Gym, we’ve spent the last 10 years working one-on-one with our members to help them achieve their financial health goals.

With a 90% success rate and with memberships starting as low as $35 a month, Financial Gym is not only the inflation-proof source for financial wellness for anyone but also a trusted and capable partner for your financial wellness journey. Head or send friends to, financialgym.com and schedule a warm up call today. As a reminder, our warm up call team is staffed with amazing and current Financial Gym clients that can answer any of your questions about our program without any pressure to join. The call is free, so you have nothing to lose. 

Shannon McLayComment