This podcast is all about how to have better habits and use them to be more productive in our projects, careers and everyday lives.

We talk about to-do lists, email, mental models and making the most of our time with best-selling author, Chares Duhigg. His latest book is "Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and In Business." Charles is also the author of "The Power of Habit."

"Keeping your eye on that thing that matters most to you is the secret to success," Charles tells us. "We need a mental model: a story we tell ourselves about how we expect our day to unfold."

Whether it's the importance of stretch and smart goals or our need to get out a rut or shed bad habits, this fun episode has smart solutions for all of us. Building on cutting-edge science and deep reporting, Charles uses storytelling to explain how productivity relies on making smart choices.

Just one example: "We can turn a to-do list from a memory aid into a device that forces us to think a little bit more deeply about our priorities." Find more on this episode.

Cynicism is a poverty of curiosity and imagination and ambition. -- Maria Popova. of BrainPickings

During their conversation in this episode, Richard and Jim mention the inspirational commencement address by Maria Popova - curator of brainpickings.org - on the soul-sustaining necessity of resisting self-comparison and fighting cynicism.