Being productive is one of the best feelings I know. Sure, it’s not the meaning of life, getting things done, but it sure feels great checking a bunch of tasks off my list, and when the things I get done are lined up with something big and important, that’s the best feeling of all.

Productivity by itself, even without all that life-meaning alignment, is a skill worth developing.

My daughter’s seventh grade algebra teacher use to tell his class outright, “Almost nobody uses algebra after high school, but it’s a great workout for your brain. Think of it like exercise. You run and lift weights so that when you need your body to do something extra, it’s ready. Algebra is like that. Work on learning how to improve your skills, and when your brain needs to do extra work on almost anything else, it’ll be in much better shape.”

Same goes with productivity.

Practice productivity, even with stupid tasks, so when you really need them, the muscles are ready.

Mike Vardy is a Productivityist. He studies productivity tools and habits and is always exploring new processes, new ideas, new ways to get things done. I met him at a the SimpleREV conference, and over a great meal and some strong scotch we discovered our mutual passion for productivity.

Mike is a machine. We had a few followup sessions sharing our roles and goals, and then I watched him make changes in his life and business at a stunning rate. Follow him. He’s onto something.

A few days ago Mike interviewed me about the Pilot Fire Simple System for Everything and my upcoming Great Year Workshop. The result is a compact description of the Pilot Fire method I think you’ll appreciate.

If you are interested in productivity:

… and then sign up for Mike’s podcast.