Mountain Shores: The (Un)Productivity Podcast

In an act of courage, Milo takes on chatting with not one but two Germans in this episode. With web designer and illustrator Markus Freise, we met on Skype to discuss Markus’ decision to ditch a well-paid and safe job as CEO of a web design agency in order to become a freelancer. Anticipating the inception of a defense league against office boredom, we talk about how to turn competitors into clients, the job descriptions of creative minds, self-responsibility, and how to learn to play tennis. (Spoiler: You learn to play tennis by playing tennis!) Show Notes Mountain Shores website Mountain Shores on iTunes Markus Freise’s website and blog Markus on Twitter and Facebook GTD app Things Evernote Deer in Headlights Wikipedia on Malcom Gladwell’s Outliers (and the 10.000 hour rule) SMBC Comics on what the 10.000 hour rule means for our life (Don’t miss this one!)

Our podcast baby has a name, finally! Started as a wee experiment, we’re glad to bring you Mountain Shores episode 3, recorded with our co-host honorem causa Michael Nobbs. In a premiere, we met up in real life – in order to attend Chris Guillebeau’s Party at the End of the World, celebrating the fact that he achieved his goal of visiting every country in the world by the age of 35 (it was also his birthday party!). On a mountainside in Oslo we leisurely discuss slow travel, making deeper and more meaningful connections (even at crazy parties) and why the word awesome can sometimes feel a bit awkward to say out loud (but is still referring to a good thing). Also, feat. lots of cakes. Think of it as a special guest. SHOW NOTES Oslo Holmenkollen Resturant, the place where we recorded the podcast The original Mountain Shores podcast The slow travel book Michael refers to is The Idle Traveler by Dan Kieran Chris Guillebeau’s End of the World party AirBnB Awesome April Drawing Your Life (feat. portrait parties!) Cake Also, see some wonderful photos of the trip: Milo over at Flickr Fabian at The Friendly Anarchist (and/or - embed slideshow - or post as a separate post.)

With Fabian busy traveling through Colombia, diving deeply into his research on the topic of creative idleness, we found a working wi-fi signal and some time to record a follow-up episode to our surprisingly successful first episode. Then, say hello to our very special guest Michael Nobbs who has just published his new book Drawing Your Life. Shownotes We take some time to reflect on how 2013 is shaping up for each of us so far, following what Michael suggested could be a Month of Reflection and Planning in January and a Month of Tiny Steps in February. We also delve deeper into the process of choosing a small manageable activity that allows you to get at least 20 minutes of creative work done each day – which isn’t quite as simple as it sounds! Hear how it feels to write a “real” book and to work with an editor, learn about Milo’s failsafe strategy to keeping his promises in 2013, and see how it all ends with the sudden appearance of a delicious Colombian breakfast. The best 33 minutes you’ll ever spend with a podcast today!  

As we prepare for the arrival of Bolon Yokte’ K’uh and the end-date of the 5125-year-long cycle in the Mayan Long Count calendar on December 21 (which might also be the end of the world as we know it), we decided to record a podcast “before it’s too late”. Listen in to hear the “view from Europe” on work and idleness in 2012, the beauty of doing reviews, filing cabinets, Siri versus pen & paper, New Year’s resolutions that never fail, and why we prefer cliffhangers over hangovers. Shownotes: Chris Guillebeau’s Annual Review Getting Things Done The Planning Fallacy The At Work interview with Michael Nobbs BJ Fogg’s 3 Tiny Habits Bokehlist