MINDY PETERSON, NCTM

Music Educator & Podcast Host

Ep. 162: Unlocking productivity with the power of music; with Erik Fisher, Host of Beyond The To-Do List Podcast

How can music help me achieve my goals?

Photo by Vladimir Kudinov on Unsplash

Popular productivity guru Erik Fisher describes practical ways to leverage the powerful tool of music for increased efficiency and more intentional living. Elevate your personal and professional life not just by getting more done, but by living fully and accomplishing the goals that make your life meaningful. We present… productivity hacks backed by the magic of music!

Guest

A couple years ago I discovered a podcast on productivity that I got hooked on, because the host really got that our goal in being efficient is not just getting more done, but living fully, and being intentional in living a meaningful life. That podcast is called Beyond The To-Do List, hosted by Erik Fisher. As I’ve listened to this podcast over the last couple years, I’ve noticed that Erik is a music lover; and this was especially clear on a recent episode where he was interviewing an author and Erik kept coming back to examples involving music. And I thought, YES, this guy really loves music and gets the power of music in our everyday lives! I am so thrilled that Erik himself agreed to be a guest on this show and is joining me today from Indiana to talk about music and productivity! Erik Fisher has produced and hosted the Beyond The To-Do List Podcast for over 10 years (longer than most of us have known what a podcast is!). Erik brings to his audience all the productivity experts along with their strategies, tips, and hacks for our personal and professional lives.

Notes

We discuss:

  • Erik’s background in and relationship with music. How he discovered music can boost productivity and creativity.
  • Ways Erik implements music in his personal and professional life; his favorite ways to use music to enhance productivity and enrich his life with music.
  • Other practical ways to utilize music to impact productivity and/or live more meaningfully.
  • Music can be used to…
    • Change time perception (to pass more quickly or slowly)
    • influence mood
    • increase motivation and gain momentum
    • create time blocks using the duration of a song, album, or playlist
    • re-boot your mind
    • assist in falling asleep OR staying awake
    • distract
    • expand self-awareness and intentionality
    • guide and sharpen mindfulness
    • process thoughts, feelings, and situations (whether positive, negative, somewhere in between, or all of the above!)
    • recall memories and experience nostalgia
  • How the relationship between music and productivity intersects with other factors like stress management and creativity.
  • Specific tools, apps, or technologies Erik recommends for individuals looking to utilize music for productivity.
  • Erik’s opinion of music’s future role in enhancing productivity.
  • Erik mentions these Kurt Vonnegut quotes:
    • “Music is, to me, proof of the existence of God. It is so extraordinarily full of magic, and in tough times of my life I can listen to music and it makes such a difference.”
  • “If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.”

Connect/Other Resources

Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:

In-Episode Promo

The Business Side of Music podcast; and

JAMBAR: This is a quick break to tell you about my new favorite energy bar – a bar that has combined two of my favorite things: music and food! JAMBAR is a Certified Organic whole food bar that was created by Jennifer Maxwell, a food science and nutrition expert, athlete, and musician. Jennifer was also co-creator of the original, iconic PowerBar in the 1980s that launched the entire energy bar industry!

Jennifer’s love for music inspired the creation of JAMBAR, and you can see that reflected in the music-themed flavors that include Musical Mango, Jammin’ Jazzleberry, Chocolate Cha Cha, and Malt Nut Melody.

One of the things I like best about these bars, besides the great taste, is that they are higher in protein and less sweet than the all-natural bars I’ve found in the past. Each JAMBAR is packed with ten grams of protein and is minimally sweetened with only all-natural sweeteners. JAMBARs are non-GMO and gluten-free; and two of the four flavors use plant-based protein, for a dairy-free option.

On top of all that, JAMBAR donates a whopping fifty percent of net profits to programs that support the art of music and active living.

For a convenient way to eat whole foods on the go, while supporting causes that are making the world a better place, join me in reaching for JAMBARs. Available at Amazon, select retailers, and jambar.com. For more info, you can also visit Episode 160.

Coda

Erik shares the backstory of the U2 song, “One.” He is a huge fan of their music and this song in particular is a pivotal moment of their lives and history.

Closing Words

And that is a little of the U2 song, “One.” Thanks so much to Erik for joining us today and for explaining practical ways to leverage music to enhance our productivity and intentionally live a more meaningful life.

All Enhance Life with Music episodes are evergreen; so check out the back catalogue for more ways that music can make your life better.

You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.

View Episode Transcript

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