🎧 Welcome to Episode #105 of the Focus and Chill Podcast! Jeremy and Joey are back—breaking down what it really takes to stay productive, sane, and playful as neurodivergent adults navigating life, work, and boring responsibilities like taxes and job hunting. They dive into DUMB goals (a cheeky reframe of SMART goals), how automation can help with hard tasks, and why optimizing systems too much can actually hold you back. 👤 Your Hosts: Jeremy – AuDHD founder of Focus Bear, software developer, and master of routines Joey – Creative productivity coach, psychology nerd, and LLM tinkerer with big heart energy 🧠 In This Episode, We Cover: What are DUMB Goals and why they might suit neurodivergent brains better The “optimization trap” and how to escape it Joey’s automated job application system using LLMs + doc generators Jeremy’s spreadsheet-based second brain for managing email burnout Tactics for doing hard, boring tasks like tax returns Replacing Evernote: digital tools that actually work Rethinking email, task systems, and communication overload Why delight, play, and imperfection matter in long-term motivation 🕒 Episode Timeline 00:00:00 – Intro + What We’re Covering 00:02:00 – DUMB Goals vs SMART Goals 00:05:00 – The Optimization Trap (Pros & Cons) 00:08:00 – Automating Job Applications with LLMs 00:14:00 – Grant Scoring & Task Prioritization 00:16:00 – Jeremy’s Low-Dopamine Email Management System 00:21:00 – Rethinking Email, Labels, and Replies 00:24:00 – Layers of Communication (Email, Slack, Calls) 00:25:00 – How DUMB Goals Fit Creative Projects 00:27:00 – Resistance Training, Momentum & Reigniting Joy 00:28:00 – Coloring Books, Cold Outreach, and Tax Returns 00:31:00 – Second Brains, Note Apps & Evernote Replacements 00:34:00 – OneNote vs Evernote + Final Reflections Connect with Jeremy: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy Email:
[email protected] Connect with Joey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeycorea/ Newsletter: https://thepluckyjester.com/newsletter/ More from Focus Bear: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearapp Twitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1 #ADHD #Neurodivergent #Productivity #DUMBGoals #Automation #FocusBear #MentalHealth #LLMHacks #CreativeDiscipline #SecondBrain #NoteTakingTools
