Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done

Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done

An investigation into how history’s oddballs, outliers, and overachievers built systems to help them do their best work.Each episode unearths a so-called productivity hack from history to help you separate the brilliant from the bullshit, so you can build a methodology that works for you.Productivity isn’t about getting more done to feed a money-seeking monster with an ever-growing appetite. It’s about clearing the clutter so you can focus on what you do best.Because if Edison can invent the lightbulb without Inbox Zero, you can probably survive without 10x-ing your toothbrush routine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tracks

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done The super-productive women missing from time management history

Let’s spend a bit of time today with some of the women of productivity history, some of whom you know, some we’ll meet for the first time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3/17/25 • 20:47

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done How Ben Franklin used timeboxing to stop missing deadlines

If you have to meet any kind of regular publishing schedule, you’ll know how time can stretch out into infinity until the night before you have to hit Publish, when suddenly it feels like you have to cram 8 hours of work into 30 minutes.But Benjamin Franklin had a neat little system that helped him keep on top of his commitments, and all it takes is a pen, some paper, and a watch.Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3/10/25 • 21:22

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done What happened to the Inbox Zero guy?

Inbox Zero is a pretty good way of organising your email, but behind the system is a dude who stepped off the hamster wheel of productivity, got some perspective, and became one of the Internet’s true treasures.Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3/3/25 • 25:36

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done How to make fewer mistakes – The Checklist Manifesto

Simple mistakes are more common than it’s comfortable to admit. But there’s a dirt-simple technique that has dramatically reduced the number of preventable deaths, and it’s stuff we can use to make our own lives run more smoothly.Thanks to Ayesha Khan of Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* for lending her voice to Mark's silly opening sketch.Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2/24/25 • 22:43

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done How to work when the sky’s caving in — Lincoln vs Churchill

When things look bleak, either in your head or out in the world, being “productive” is probably the furthest thing from your mind. We live in difficult times, no doubt, but two outliers a hundred years apart, fought oppression, propaganda, and dehumanisation all while under their own personal dark clouds.Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2/17/25 • 26:05

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done Bullet Journal – Productive or performative?

Can this analogue system for a digital age really help us get more done? Has it strayed from its roots and become synonymous with people who call things “super aesthetic”? And, if we can learn what we need to about the system in 3 minutes, why does it cost three and a half grand to learn to teach it?Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2/10/25 • 19:47

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done How to get into the zone — Flow

Time stands still and you’re in that sweet-spot where the work you're doing is challenging enough to hold your attention, but not so difficult that it causes you stress.This is flow, and it might just prove itself to be one of the keys that unlocks long-term happiness.Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2/3/25 • 18:41

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done The tomato of productivity – the Pomodoro Technique

It’s four o’clock in the afternoon, and you’re thinking over your day. Did you actually get anything done, or were you just reacting to a bunch of distractions?Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1/27/25 • 18:17

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done Do the worst thing first thing (”Eat the frog”)

“Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.” So says Mark Twain. Or so says a productivity guru says Mark Twain. But as far as we can tell, Mark Twain never said that. So what’s with all the frogs, and how can they help us do more of the right stuff, and less of the wrong?Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1/20/25 • 15:21

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done Work expands to fill the time available – Parkinson’s Law

Studies show if you give people 60 minutes to complete a task that only takes 30, they’ll work the full hour instead of taking the rest off.That’s Parkinson’s Law in action, and by recognising it, we can buy back some time to ourselves. Just don’t tell the boss, or they’ll give you more busy work.Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1/13/25 • 13:53

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done The Eisenhower Matrix – Decision-making in the White House

How do you decide what needs to be done now, and what can wait? And how do you take care of the stuff that needs doing now, while not neglecting the things that make it worth getting out of bed in the morning?Links mentioned in this episodeGet more with Undo+Get members-only contentHang out in in DiscordSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1/6/25 • 13:37

Show cover of Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done Introducing Undo

Coming January 2025.Humans will do anything to avoid the actual work they said they’d do. While supposedly writing this trailer I checked my slow cooker, restocked the fridge, took my blood pressure (it’s dangerously high, btw), followed up on a WhatsApp conversation, picked up the post, checked in on the cats, tidied my desk and made another coffee.That’s genuinely true – these are all things I did while I should’ve been writing this script.And all I really need to tell you is that Undo is a podcast that examines productivity methods through the ages and tries to separate the brilliant from the bullshit, so you can figure out how to design your own system that matches your brain chemistry.I mean really, it’s just a fun show you can listen and tell yourself you’re working. Finally, procrastination in podcast form! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11/8/24 • 01:10