Becoming Better

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Becoming Better is a podcast dedicated to making you a better human being. Hosted by Chris Bailey, the author of two productivity books, and Ardyn Nordstrom, a nerdy economist, the show covers topics as diverse as productivity, procrastination, money, happiness, giving back, travel, gratitude, and d…

Chris Bailey


    • May 27, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 27m AVG DURATION
    • 156 EPISODES

    4.8 from 66 ratings Listeners of Becoming Better that love the show mention: productivity, ideas, voices, books, tips, practical, highly recommend, top, fantastic, helpful, great work, better, entertaining, funny, show, like, informative, love, content, life.


    Ivy Insights

    The Becoming Better podcast is an absolute gem in the realm of productivity podcasts. From the moment I started listening, I was hooked. The hosts, Chris and Ardyn, bring such a dynamic energy to the show that it's impossible not to feel motivated and inspired. Their tips for productivity are incredibly valuable and have truly helped me level up in my own life. What sets this podcast apart is the perfect balance between informative content and entertaining banter. It feels like you're having a conversation with two friends who genuinely care about helping you become better.

    One of the best aspects of The Becoming Better podcast is how relatable and practical their advice is. Chris and Ardyn break down complex concepts into simple, actionable strategies that anyone can implement. They offer a wide range of productivity tips, from time management techniques to mindset shifts, all delivered in a clear and engaging manner. Additionally, their episodes are relatively short (under half an hour), making it easy to fit into a busy schedule without feeling overwhelmed or distracted.

    While there aren't many negative aspects to this podcast, one potential drawback is that the content can sometimes feel repetitive if you've been listening since the beginning. Some topics may be revisited or explored from different angles, which can be both beneficial for reinforcement but also slightly redundant for long-time listeners. However, this minor issue is outweighed by the wealth of knowledge and inspiration that each episode brings.

    In conclusion, The Becoming Better podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to improve their productivity and overall quality of life. Chris and Ardyn's chemistry is infectious, their insights are invaluable, and their dedication to helping others shines through every episode. Whether you're new to the world of productivity or a seasoned pro, this podcast will undoubtedly provide you with practical tools and motivation to become better in all areas of your life.



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    Latest episodes from Becoming Better

    153: Managing Attention

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 31:03


    Tactics for cultivating your attention—and then managing it daily. The post Podcast: Tactics for managing your attention appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    152: Reel Talk

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 27:07


    The rhythms and nature of our attention—and why our focus gets derailed so often. The post Podcast: Full Attention appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    151: Distractions

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 31:55


    How to think about and tactically overcome distraction. The post Podcast: Overcoming Distraction appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    150: Fake Deadlines

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 26:22


    Artificial deadlines, the four-day workweek, and managing attention instead of time. The post Podcast: Fake Deadlines appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    149: Everyday Carry

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 34:48


    What we carry around when we're on the go and want to get stuff done. The post Podcast: Everyday Carry appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    148: Fancy Health Stuff

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 48:08


    Our long-term reviews about three health investments: the Ozlo Sleepbuds, Apple Watch 10, and the Peloton Bike+—and whether fancy health stuff is even necessary. The post Podcast: Our long-term reviews of the Ozlo Sleepbuds, Apple Watch 10, and the Peloton Bike+ appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    147: Good Productivity

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 26:04


    Taming IMs—and pursuing productivity for the right reasons. The post Podcast: Good Productivity appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    146: Econ Corner 2.0

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 30:17


    Our comparative advantages, finite resources, and thinking on the margin. The post Podcast: Econ Corner 2.0 appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    145: Inbox Zero Is Dumb

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2025 26:32


    All of the ways that “Inbox Zero” misses the mark—but also the cases where it can be helpful. The post Podcast: Why “inbox zero” is dumb appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    144: Bad Productivity Advice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 22:52


    How to separate good productivity advice from bad—and the golden rule of productivity advice. The post Podcast: Bad productivity advice appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    143: The End of Year Survey

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 24:49


    Chris's end-of-year survey—and how we're ringing in the new year! The post Podcast: The end of the year survey appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    142: Smart Home Shenanigans

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024 44:05


    How we've set up our smart home! The post Podcast: Our smart home setup appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    141: Trip Wires

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 32:20


    A simple tweak to bring greater awareness to bad habits. The post Podcast: How to plant a trip wire appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    Podcast: Our tech setups!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 29:46


    The tech gear we use to get stuff done every day. The post Podcast: Our tech setups! appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    139: Writing Workflows

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 37:08


    How we write! The post Podcast: Our writing workflows appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    138: Tactics That Haven't Stuck

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 31:32


    Habits and strategies we've chatted about that haven't worked as well… The post Podcast: Tactics that haven't stuck for us appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    137: Productivity Guilt

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 14:30


    Are you doing what you can? The post Podcast: Productivity Guilt appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    136: Travel Hacks

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2024 38:57


    Tactics we find invaluable for traveling with ease. The post Podcast: Our favorite travel hacks appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    135: Busyness

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2024 27:18


    The difference between a busy mind and a busy day. The post Unpacking busyness appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    134: The News

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2024 30:02


    What the research shows about the news we consume—and what to do about it. The post Podcast: Deliberate news consumption appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    133: Learn Anything

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2024 34:35


    My conversation with Scott H. Young about his new book, Get Better at Anything. The post Podcast: How to Learn Anything appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    132: Meeting Tactics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024 33:23 Transcription Available


    The science behind running meetings more effectively (when they're worthwhile)! The post Podcast: Tactics for meetings appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    131: Meetings

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024 28:46


    We dive deep into meetings on this week's pod. The post Podcast: The Value of Meetings appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    130: Time Blocking 2.0

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024 30:46


    Strategies for time blocking your day—including the ones we use. The post Podcast: How We Time Block appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    129: Slow Productivity

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2024


    My conversation with author Cal Newport—about doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and obsessing over quality. The post Podcast: The art of slow productivity appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    128: Social Media

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2024 31:40


    The post Podcast: How to think about social media appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    127: Rising Early

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2024 20:52


    Should you become an early riser? The post Podcast: Should you wake up early? appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    rising chris bailey podcast should
    Podcast: All or Something Thinking (Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 17:00


    Things aren't as black and white as you might think. The post Podcast: All or Something Thinking (Replay) appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    125: Getting Unstuck

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2024 33:12


    Staying productive when you don't feel like it. The post Podcast: How to Get Unstuck appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    124: Home Screens

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2024 40:42


    We share our phone home screens and chat about which one is better. The post Podcast: Our phone home screens appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    123: Leveraged Productivity

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 31:57


    How AI is shaping the highest-leverage tasks in your work. The post Podcast: The highest-leverage tasks in your work appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    123: The Fake Commute

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 17:57


    The perks and benefits of doing a fake commute each morning. The post Podcast: The perks of a fake morning commute appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    122: The Fake Commute

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2024 17:57


    My new favorite morning ritual. The post My fake morning commute appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    121: How To Get A Book Published

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2024 30:01


    The ins and outs of publishing a book of your own—in an interview with Lucinda Halpern, the author of Get Signed. The post Podcast: How to Get a Book Published appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    120: Chore Points

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2024 29:44


    Our system for getting chores done at home. The post Podcast: Our “chore points” system appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    119: Books We're Reading

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2024 41:25


    The books we're currently loving! The post Podcast: The Books We're Loving appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    118: The Fourth Annual Holiday Spectacular (w. gift recs!)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 37:30


    Our fourth annual holiday spectacular—and the finale of the gift guide! The post Podcast: The productivity holiday gift guide.. continued! appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    117: Productivity Gift Guide

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2023 36:17


    The best gifts that make life easier (or more efficient). (Part One!) The post Podcast: The productivity gift guide appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    116: Accountability Groups

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 37:41


    How to form a professional accountability group—and why you should. The post Podcast: Forming an accountability group appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    115: Sick & Thinking About To-Do Lists

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2023 6:35


    Your to-do list will probably never be done. That's a good thing! The post Podcast: Taking a sick day appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    114: Commitment Devices

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2023 34:41


    How to give yourself no choice but to achieve your goals. The post Podcast: Using “commitment devices” to achieve your goals appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    113: Productivity Prime Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2023 26:35


    How exactly to calculate when you're the most productive and creative. The post Podcast: Calculating your peak productivity time appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    112: Dumb Goals

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 28:55


    How to set smarter goals—and why “SMART” goals aren't as effective as you may think. The post Podcast: Setting smarter goals appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    111: The Pomodoro Technique

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2023 26:16


    The pomodoro technique, and how (and whether) we use it in our own work. The post Podcast: The Pomodoro Technique appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    110: Stimulation Fasting

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2023 29:01


    What you'll get out of resetting your mind's tolerance for novelty. The post Podcast: How (and why) to do a stimulation fast appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    109: Oliver Burkeman (Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2023 35:03


    A conversation with the author of Four Thousand Weeks on limits, finitude, and time management. The post Podcast: My interview with Oliver Burkeman (replay) appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    108: Subscriptageddon

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2023 27:43


    The productivity apps we subscribe to—and what we're cutting. The post Podcast: Drowning in subscriptions appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    Podcast: Are smartphones a net positive?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2023 35:20


    Lessons from Chris's experiment to switch to a flip phone for a month. The post Podcast: Are smartphones a net positive? appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    106: Naps!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2023 24:17


    Exploring the science behind napping. The post 106: Naps! appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    105: Multitasking

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2023


    We dig into the research surrounding multitasking—including where it does and doesn't work. The post Podcast: Digging into multitasking appeared first on Chris Bailey.

    104: Productivity Gadgets

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023 40:05


    Our go-to productivity gadgets that we use every day (and a few thoughts on the Apple headset)! The post Podcast: The best productivity gadgets appeared first on Chris Bailey.

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