Maybe this question was asked before, but I'm not here talking about tips that are always mentioned like journaling and writing your to do list... etc I mean something you figured out later in life, made you more productive and you wish you knew earlier because it changed everything.
What productivity tip changed your life completly and you wish people talk more about?
QuestionB+ job at A+ consistency I remind myself often and is very helpful
“Do a B+ job.”
That made me really happy to read that lol, thanks for that!
“The first draft of anything is shit” - Ernest Hemingway
"write drunk, edit sober." - Ernest Hemingway
I do a shit draft to get started.
You can’t improve what doesn’t exist.
In the wise words of general patton - “a good plan violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week” . these words get often help me to get through things I’ve been putting off.
Unless you’re a brain surgeon. 😉
🤯🙏🏾
B+? Unless it's something trivially easy, I usually start things at a solid F. And that's fine.
I think this goes back to perfectionism, IMO. If my brain doesn't let me do anything except at an A+ level, then a B+ is difficult to wrap my head around. An F... wouldn't even bother.
It's better to be done than perfect, but just starting out that's hard to realize.
This is especially useful for things that you have the ability to go back and revise/improve things as well
C's get degrees.
But they don't get jobs in the world of automated application and resume sorting / filtering. 😂
Yes they do!
Exactly. 80%is done. 100% is more than perfection
“Done is better than perfect”
I tell myself - if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing half-assed ><
I would also add that it's okay to do something and stop at some point rather than not starting it at all.
Example: I have a friend who has been delaying his website for the last 10 years because "yo, if I want to make it the right way I need to have plenty of time for it, at least 2 months".
He's currently unemployed and has always worked as a bartender.
Better to finish and publish than be a perfectionist. So much wisdom right here!
I stopped trying to get everything done in favor of triaging aggressively and defending a portion of every day for my own purposes.
Sounds like a “not-to-do list” (not to be confused with “anti-to-do list”).
The anti-to-do list is also called a "Ta Da" list, meaning TA DA, it's done.
Simply to just start. Instead of getting bogged down in analysis paralysis and waiting for that “right” moment to start, just doing instead of thinking about doing. You can begin to iron out the finer details later as you go along and become more proficient.
I'll add to this - a lot of times I don't want to "work" because I feel like my cup is empty and I didn't get to enjoy. Stop doing mindless TV and plan out some fun activities for yourself so you can feel recharged and happy to get back to work work. This is more of a note for me lol, but I'm sure there are others like me!
This is SO true and has been address in a book called The Resilience Plan (newly published). Apparently we always think of what we HAVE to do (output) without balancing the equation with where we even find energy to do it (input). We have to actively carve out time for recharging activities for mental resilience. Super interesting book. Such a simple idea but I never actually thought of it (Thanks toxic productivity)
I need to read this book! This is an issue I have - I get stressed and overwhelmed thinking about all the tasks for the day!
Yes! For the longest time I always try to squeeze productivity out of me, not knowing I’m already an empty shell with major burn out. And that was a vicious cycle that I could not get out: force myself to be productive, get stressed and anxious because I can’t be as productive as I want, feel guilty, force myself to be more productive.
Then one day I just collapsed. I knew I had to change my approach. Another thing is I have been practicing meditation for a few years so I’m better equipped with observing myself. Finally, I allow myself a customized productivity framework and feel MUCH better about it.
I’m in this cycle right now. Working on breaking out.
it would be helpful for me and others, if you could add more details
Since I have been practicing meditation for quite sometimes, there are two fundamental rewards I have had: mental silence and self-acceptance.
When we sit down and observe ourself in mental silence, we learn new and very nuanced things about us. So instead of blaming myself for things I cannot do, I accept that there are reasons for me to do such things, and so I should change my approach to match this new understanding about myself.
I will think of an example later.
Author? There are a lot of books titled "resilience".
So it’s actually “The resilience plan” by Marie-Helene! She has both Psychology degree and an MBA so her tips are very applicable for white collar workers!
So many titles by the name Resilience or some variation! Thank you for this recommendation
what are some recharging activity examples that the book gives?
Piggybacking. Some tips I picked up from having ADHD. Don't take your shoes or bra off until you've finished all your productive tasks. We tend to unconsciously associate those things with "okay, time to chill". Also, gamifying chores and tasks helps motivate you to do things and stay on task. Ex: I play upbeat happy dance songs while cleaning. I "race" myself to wash the dishes in the span of 1 to 3 songs (depending on how many dishes), I also treat myself to a coffee or soda once I finish a larger task like mopping the whole house. Multitasking is my friend. I use walmart grocery pickup, I simply add things to my cart as I notice we start running low or out of things. I also look up recipes and meal plan when pooping. I make phone calls as I do quit tasks like mopping.
I’ve started even treating my hobbies on the same level as chores. I call them personal enrichment. I will do a chore or task for 10 - 15 minutes, I give it my all — the. when the timer goes off, I appreciate myself for getting that done and the reward is enrichment time for double the chore time. It’s slowly helping me work on my hyper focus tendencies.
Which author? Many books by this name 🤔 Thxs
Yep, I need to hear this. I'm that person who never gets started because I'm always preoccupied planning and worrying.
I finally got the ball rolling on my workshop today. It was a day I REALLY wasn't feeling like doing anything. I had been putting it off for so long. Dust everywhere, tools out of place, etc.
Started small, then ended big. It's not done, but I got a lot accomplished.
Start small, end big! Because things snowball with compound effect
I've recently done a task that I've been putting off for 2 weeks. It took me only 4 hours of focused work...
Yes and I even pick a lucky number, say 8.
Anytime the clock shows 9:08 or 9:26 (2+6=8) I tell myself to get up and just do it. Even if I’m caught up in a loop of tiktok.
Really been helping!
This is my downfall. My ADHD does not allow me to start. I waste so much time planning, considering, researching, etc. Just damn starting is so impossible sometimes
You don’t need to know what the last step is. You only need to know what the first step is. Complete it and then do the next one.
I've gotten myself into too many dead ends that way! That's the other side of my ADHD. If I just flit from one activity to another without thought I end up with 100 unfinished projects littered around and wasted money on schemes that we're not thought through.
It's basically chaos 24/7 around here lol
The what ifs and overthinking is huge hurdle for us NDs, I wasted 5 years of compounding and lost early investment opportunities because I want to "know the market and analysis" before I enter and all I wanted to do was start SIP in Mutual funds. Guess what now they say market is at ATH and fall anytime soon, anyway I have started it i don't care if it falls but I still want to learn how things work practically.
Same :( The procrastination struggle is so real. Sometimes it helps to remind myself that "the stewing is worse than the doing" so just get it over with
I live by this. The easiest way to finish something is by starting it.
Thank you
Absolutely.
Do it first and then iterate.
But on a deeper level, people don't take action because they are scared and it's uncomfortable.
So they just procrastinate and wait until they have a full and failproof plan which, btw, don't exist.
Like Tom Cruise says in Top Gun: Maverick: "don't think, just do"
I thought he said: “Don't think. Just. Don't.”
Yeah that’s not exactly true for a lot of things I think a lot of people should hesitate especially before starting a relationship.
I'll add to that finding out the cause of the hold up or problems. Not all the time it's your fault. I say this especially for people with roommates. Ugh, is an understatement. Some people are really slow inconsiderate and make bad decisions. You can easily find this out by looking at how is your quality of life alone vs around others that you can't NOT be around. Usually other people are the problem something that you can't fix but only work around. And that can be and is super depressing cause you're not free at that moment. Like I'd do this than that.. but he or she is in the way or at the house (small home). Just also have to mind your circumstances and take that into account. J's. Being too hard on yourself only fuels the burnout on top of being productive lol.
I find that I'm the most productive and efficient when I have a lot of things to do. If I have too much free time on my hand, I will take much longer to complete a task. Do what you will with that intel
6 months ago I was in between jobs whilst moving across the country and picked up some chill freelance work of about 10hrs a week to help not make such a dent in my savings and you would think only having a few hrs of work to do and all hours of the day to do it would make you more productive both inside and outside of the work but it actually had the opposite effect. Having too much freedom and constantly battling in my own head between ‘use this free time to better yourself’ ‘use this free time to relax’ and ‘use this free time to make memories’ had me in such decision paralysis that most days I would just lay in bed hating myself and wishing someone would drag me into an office and tell me to sit there and work until they say I can stop.
Uhh, I feel you, there was a time in my life when I was unemployed and my husband was a breadwinner, it was a nightmare, lol. I was just wandering around in pyjamas, not having even enough energy to play a video game or start a book. "I can always do this tomorrow", I mused laying in bed, bored and depressed.
Meanwhile after finding a job, starting a school and doing a language course after work my productivity is 300%. I workout, eat healthy, work full-time, learn languages after work, and when I find I have 1-2 hours of free time, I enjoy playing games or reading books so much more because I know I this is my time to relax and I should use it wisely, on things I actually enjoy.
It's horrible it works this way for me, but what can you do.
I'm currently in that unemployed hell you talk about. Only I'm on disability for schizophrenia, so I have an income while I do it. It's so hard to "just do stuff" like play games, watch shows, or even work on my hobby(gamedev) which I might be able to turn into a job.
Meanwhile back when I worked full time at mcdonalds before getting sick, I had such a fulfilling life, my own apartment(I'm in mom's basement now), I had a long term girlfriend and friends who would come over to play games on the weekend, and when I was alone, I had my cat to keep me company.
Looking back now, is there anything you would’ve done differently during that free period? I’m in a free period now and my thought process almost daily is literally as you mentioned
After the free period was over and I got back to work I did one evening totally freaked out that I had just spent 4 months free and now I’m out the other side and have almost nothing to show for it lol. But my partner was able to reassure me that even though I didn’t spend it travelling the world and finding myself I still gained things from it which is true. As a chronically lazy person it definitely helped me see the value in being productive and busy, something that I never really appreciated before.
I don’t know exactly what your situation is but I’d say for me I wish I had just picked one - either focus on being productive and use the time to better yourself and learn new things or use the time to relax and channel your inner 14 year old on summer break with no parental supervision, but either way just pick one instead of doing what I did which was being on the fence about both options and ended up just doing nothing because both options made me feel guilty about not doing the other. I’d say also set a goal for each day for something that you want to do, so at least you have done something every day even if it’s only an hour out of the day.
Same! I just plan my daily routine as full as possible on purpose in order to prevent this. Do you have other tips for this situation?
A friend of mine once told me “if you want something done, give it to a busy person.” When you’re busy you have to handle things right away to clear them off your docket and get to the next/bigger task at hand. You just don’t have time to put things off when you have a lot to do, but, when I’m not busy I put stuff off because I “know” I have time to do it later.
Yes this is why I invite the person and then clean sometimes lol
Humans don't fill their time with tasks, they fill their tasks with time
Check out Parkinson's Law....
In other words, work expands to fill the time available with zero to negative effect on overall quality
This is 💯true!
This is so true that it's been formalized as Parkinson's law: work expands to fill the time given to complete it.
The best way to overcome it: time blocking. It's much harder for tasks to expand when they're confined to an actual time block.
Realizing that people are not doing everything they say, and so we need to stop comparing productivity goals. I need to sort priorities and one or two areas are gonna be unattended til I maybe rotate priorities.
And a robot cleaner. lol
Totally, the older I get and the more people I know the more I realize that most of the people I know, and that includes the ones that I think are productive and have time for do cool things, sometimes don't even touch their projects in a whole week.
- Don’t plan too tightly and always estimate some extra time for appointments in your calendar (you might need it for travel, follow ups, unforeseen circumstances). It made me stress a lot less and will prevent others from booking things into your calendar at inconvenient times. If you don’t need the extra time, then you can still use it to make a phone call or answer messages.
- If it takes 2 minutes or less: do it right away. You’ll get that out of the way and you won’t forget.
- Start with the hardest task of the day. It’s good to know you already accomplished something. I always feel more energized and motivated after.
- “No” is also an answer.
- Keep asking yourself if tasks are relevant for you and keep asking yourself how urgent tasks are. Prioritize accordingly.
This dude read getting stuff done
In fairness my most important productivity tip is read that book and do what it tells you to
My tip is to take his latest book instead: “Making it all work”
Basically GTD, but less fluff in the presentation. (I worked with GTD for years before this, and yes, it has literally saved my relationship to my now wife. Yes, I was THAT disorganized.)
Actually not a dude and never read it haha. Just someone who started working a couple of years ago and found myself with poor time management skills. Asked around how colleagues did it and these were some of the answers that stuck with me and I still try to use. But now that you’ve mentioned this book I will check it out!
Your colleagues read the book. You should read the book!
Tips are great, systems are better!
Just want to add to the chorus: GTD is a great book. It’s changed my life twice over now.
Once when I was 19, and I was hella productive. Then a new job took me away from my system. Since then I’ve been banging my head against a wall trying to become productive, then recently I read the book again and realised why I wasn’t succeeding.
Now I’ve got a stable system rolling again and I’m experiencing the freedom I longed for.
I can take someone on, if anyone wants a (free) GTD mentor to help them get into it via Discord - drop me a DM!
There's also a book called Win the Week that suggests having weekly or daily time blocks for UUW (unwanted, unexpected work). It's a great idea, and makes things so much easier.
I found a lot of value in that book, actually. It changed the way I plan my work and it's been amazing to finally have everything properly organised every week. And the concept of having a weekly review/planning that you associate with something fun or a treat has worked really well for me.
I realized that my procrastination was often due to being overwhelmed. Once I realized that, I approached things differently. Now I’m able to approach a task and realize that it’s actually a project that needs to be broken into tasks. After the tasks are created I’m able to approach them individually and do the work without feeling like it’s too much to do.
Try goblin tools! AI created for neurodivergent people originally. But it breaks down tasks for you
Ditto. I’ve commented about Fuschia Sirois here a fair bit - but she talks about a “Task Audit”. I will go through a task and write down on a bit of paper any unknowns and who I need to ask for answers.
Once I do that I’ve got a list of small tasks that need answering to get the big task done.
There are people whose entire jobs are planning big projects. For some reason my brain often convince myself planning is a waste of time, so I become overwhelmed by the scope and fail to start or make progress. Accepting that planning is a time-worthy task is a game changer for me.
Getting rid of home WiFi and limiting my data on my phone.
People are scared of living with such restrictions, but since doing so, I've got a new job and shed some lbs. due to starting a daily walking regimen (40+ minutes daily), so I'm a lot healthier. I've gotten into reading more as well.
Before I probably would have just been scrolling through Reddit endlessly.
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14d
I do this + go with a pretty low data plan from Tello (2 gb). If i use it all up, then it's more expensive to renew it than if I had gone for a higher data plan to start. This helps me because having to renew it once it runs out, and thus pay more, sucks.
I still use public WiFi when I'm on the bus, but the amount of time I do that is much less.
If you have a friend who will let you use their WiFi when you absolutely NEED a secure connection, then that would be good.
It's a transition I cannot recommend enough. Cancel that plan as soon as you can, and building healthy habits that can change your life becomes much easier.
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Nice! I'm super excited for you!!
As another one commented already. Yeah you can sharpen your axe as you wish but at the point, where you research the perfect angle for sharpening, the best materials and the best tools, you would already have chopped down the tree with a dull axe. I realizied this last year, where I spent most of my time perfecting my notion template instead of sitting my ass down and actually learning something.
Intrinsic vs extrensic motivation. I'm reading Atomic Habits right now and since I just thought to myself more often, what would the ideal productive version of me doing right now, it has been significantly easier to get work done. And something that quite contradicts the first statement, if you're enviroment is already set up to fail you (even if you don't realize it) it requires a nearly impossible amount of discipline to suceed.
Never sit down.
When I get up in the morning, I do not sit down again (apart from on a toilet) until I get onto the bus to work.
As soon as I sit down, I have placed another task which I do not want to do between myself and my goals. I already don't want to do any of the morning tasks, and then?
Standing up again. It's the worst.
So I stopped allowing myself to sit down. I put my socks on right before my shoes before I leave the house and I do both standing up. If I eat breakfast, I eat it standing in the kitchen.
Never sit down.
Once I am sitting, useful work is just over. Anything I get done after that has to be considered a bonus. This is definitely not the same for everyone but it is absolutely the case for me and I just have to accept that and work around it.
Lol I have to sit down so I can get stuff done ✅ lol I will read a book for two sentences and then find myself reinacting something I thought of in those two sentences 🤣🤣 definitely need to sit my booty down. I pair this with my foot massage machine sometimes so it’s not a punishment - or music, fun lighting, no snacks, and my meds 😂😂 then I work until the next day and now I’m still awake and it’s 6:34 am! Why do I feel like I will one day crack the productivity code? Why do I try? lol the solution is to have accountability. I worked very hard today and focused but I didn’t get up or leave my house 🤪 now I probably have less brain cells. Gnite. Today I can’t sleep during the day so more drugs or sleepy half functional human? Pick your poison people.
Lie to yourself. You are not going for a 10km run under the rain, you are just putting your running shoes, you are not studying, you are just going to open your book at your desk
This one comes up a lot in the popular books on habits, like Atomic Habits and Tiny Habits, so I guess a lot of people must find it effective.
I can confidently say it doesn't work for me. The problem is I am not motivated to just put my running shoes on, or just open a book, because those goals, in my mind, have no value in themselves. I understand the idea is to initiate an action that will have value, but I am only motivated to complete that action, not to start it. I have to have the 10-minute run in mind, or the complete chapter, or the full 25 mins of meditation, etc.
I don't want to be negative. Just replying in case others have felt the same.
Similarly, I might just procrastinate, but now with running shoes on hahaha
The bigger goal isn’t the 10k (that’s an eventual goal—more like a goal for the quarter instead of the day). The bigger goal right now is the habit of putting on your shoes. Once you have that habit, it’s easier to tack another one on—that’s the value created by putting on your shoes. May still not work for you which is fine. But maybe that helps someone else.
I understand where you come from. When I read this tip, instead of just “putting shoes” on, I turned it into, “work out for 10 mins max”. So something was achieved. I could easily fit in a 10 min workout in my routine 2-3 times a week. If it’s too much, I’d change it to “5 minutes” as long as I start the habit. Even if I’m stuck with 5-10 mins workout, it’s better than no workout.
I think the idea is to lay down a habit. So you can literally put shoes on and off.
The "5 min" rule. A lot of times I don't want to do things bc I lack the motivation or it seems daunting, so I implement the 5 mins or 5 things rule.
Giant sink full of dishes that you don't wanna do? Do 5 things and only 5 things, then go back to whatever. Each time you break, another 5. It helps piece wise it up and makes me get tasks done that I otherwise might have put off for another day or two. I also almost always do MORE than 5, 5 is just the minimum.
I have a post-it on my compuer monitor that says "2-Minute rule" - I don't do 5-minutes because otherwise reactive tasks such as e-mails would eat up my entire day. The book Getting Things done says "2-Minutes" and that has aways worked for me, though the author says you can adapt it to your own preferences.
that makes sense! I use mine primarily for cleaning stuffs I don't want to and 2 things doesn't feel like id be doing anything lol, five works tho. just five things, then I can go back to the couch.
The cleaning one I do is ABC - "always be carrying" around the house. Every time I am walking to another room I make sure I am carrying something to its rightful place. Can't remember where I heard that one
I do this one too! going upstairs to grab something? lets also grab that laundry that is somehow downstairs. headed to the kitchen? lets also grab the mail and drop it there.
Therapy and leaving toxic situations.
That motivation is temporary. For me, the key isn't even self-discipline, it's momentum. Once I start, it builds and builds.
"Momentum solves 80% of your problems" -- John C Maxwell
Nice
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14d
I haven't read that book in years. I'm downloading the audiobook now. Thanks for the tip.
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I've read Atomic Habits halfway through, twice.. Currently on my 2nd read and made it about halfway 2 weeks ago. But haven't picked it up since.. It's so hard for me to finish books, but I'll be putting it back on my bed so that it's in the open and I have to look at it every day. Hopefully that helps me finish it lol. Thanks again for the info.
I'd definitely like to double my salary and quality of life, that's for sure.
Cleaning my space, and removing the stress around it like putting in too much energy will help me get into a flow state that eventually leads to other todo’s that are hard to get to if i had started on the couch.
example of todos that i procrastinate a lot on which i get around to doing after cleaning - if i have to make a couple calls to customer service (bank, company or whatever); writing up a thoughtful email; organizing things on laptop
This has helped me too! This might sound strange but getting organized changed the energy of everything too, it’s like a better flow for me.
Exactly this! I’ve been calling this my “momentum battery” lately. Trying to make sure to get at least a couple of things accomplished to kick start the ol’ flow engine :) I’m not great at consistently remembering this yet, but I’m getting there. 😆
Works this way for Flow Arts (like hula hooping or poi), too- I have like a warmup period before I get into a flow state. Momentum is key! 👌🏻
Doing nothing is productive. If I’m tired or overwhelmed it’s better to take the break and regroup than to try to push through.
Really the only thing you should try to push through is writers block. And that’s just because editing is easier than starting from scratch.
But for real, build in breaks and rest, and be willing to pause whatever you’re doing when you need to, not when you’ve reached whatever.
"Working hard for something you hate is called stress. Working hard for something you love is called passion." Helps me see the difference between stressing myself out and doing something because I want to do it/love to do it.
Setting a timer to start something. Sometimes I need to clean up or do some work or fill something out and I’ll just procrastinate or overthink if now is the right time. I’ll set a 10 or sometimes just 5 or 3 min timer on my phone and think right for the next x minutes I’m just going to do it and if after that time I want to stop then I can. Helps so much when you’re in a rut because it doesn’t feel like too much of a commitment to just do something for a set amount of minutes.
"If you were really serious about (your goals), you would eat right and sleep properly."
I have a nasty habit of avoiding food and sleep when I'm really focused on getting something done, because they feel like distractions from my current Grand Purpose. It feels like if I'm Serious About Something i need to focus on it to the exclusion of all else. Then I crash and burn and don't finish the things I start. 🙃
This reframing really helped me get in a mindset where I could finish what I start, because I stopped hitting the wall halfway through doing anything.
Manage for energy, not just time — this might be tagging tasks based on low vs high focus required, planning your workday around your chronotype, or scheduling your month based on period cycle. Not all hours are created equal! We need rest to enable the productive time, so think about what you want to achieve alongside how you’ll recharge for it.
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14d
So I modified it a bit with 50 min working and 10 min breaks.
Sounds like you're actually using Flowtime which is a more flexible Pomodoro alternative.
I've recently read about a time-boxing technique which is yet another Pomodoro alternative but I cannot recall its name. The gist of it was: take a break for as long as you've worked (i.e. 25 minutes break after 25 minutes of work, 2 hours break after 2 hours of work, etc.).
Yeah, I know – it doesn't sound that much productive and I have yet to test it in practice.
I use Pomodoro too, but I have trouble going back to work after those 5 minutes...I usually just get up on my break and use the toilet or make myself some snack, but sometimes it's just so difficult to end the break and work again...
Makin my bed first thing in the morning. Might be small but someone once told me if you can get up in the morning and do one thing it sets the tone for the day, even if it’s small it’s still one productive thing, it sets u up for the next thing . Just keep telling myself , one more productive thing, one more. Next thing I know I’ve been productive with my day and time. Also I battle with depression so the “one more thing” thing helps
This works very well for me. I've been doing this since 2020 with great results.
Someone on reddit made a comment 'I hate cooking with passion, how can i overcome this and start cooking food'
The top comment was 'have you tried cooking without passion?'
We are told time and again to not to half-ass anything. I think it is a very blanket advice. In a lot of contexts, half ass is good enough.
This is the advice I use in a lot of places. And honestly, it does work.
I started using StayFocused which prevents me from going to certain websites during certain hours of the day. Some of my habits were more about muscle memory typing websites than about me actually wanting to go to the sites. It has saved me a lot of time.
Routine. The right work flow or apps. For me it’s todoist and sunsana.
Also a daily close out.
From Switch (https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Change-Things-When-Hard/dp/0385528752)
1. What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity.
2. What looks like laziness is often exhaustion.
3. What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem.
And one from my own side
1. What looks like time management (productivity) is actually energy management.
Batching tasks. As much as we like to think it, we are not well equipped for multi tasking.
ruminating is often a waste of time
Using smaller ear plugs in an open office environment.
Learning that going slow and using the additional time to figure out how to enjoy the thing I have to do ultimately has led to me doing more and enjoying life more.
There’s a thing they used to tell us when we would train endurance sports:
Go slow to go fast
When it comes to doing a new or daunting task (writing an essay, doing a project, writing job applications) it can be easy to procrastiante in "research".
Adopting a "NOW rather than HOW" approach to tasks i.e. just starting them has been good for me. I usually figure it out along the way and starting it often the hardest
decluttering/getting rid of stuff has had a massive impact (for me personally). i do so much more around the house now, all the projects/hobbies that have been sitting are starting to get attention, chores have become easy + even relaxing (sometimes lol).
i like being home a lot more and the high from it has lasted the last 6 months (and counting). pulled me out of a rut!
I make a list of three things a day I will definitely do...
I may do more..but I never do less.
Every day. Three things.
The Stack Method on email management. Transformed my email productivity
Honestly never heard of it until now. Just looked it up. That’s fantastic! Thank you.
Pretend you’re Denzel Washington in “the Equalizer” and time yourself getting tasks done. You’ll notice that you’re trying to hurry up too. Instead of wasting time procrastinating, you have more free time!
Swallow the frog whole
A regular nightime/ morning routine. It allows me to plan my day so much better and I know I will have a good 1/2 hours of time every morning to do the things I need to or want to
Stop drinking alcohol. It robs you of so much time.
Write everything down, to-dos, anxieties, watchers, before you go to bed so you can free your mind and have it fresh for you in the morning. Without it I ruminate and obsess but know it is waiting for me without taking brain space has made such a differences
Get out of bed as soon as eyes are open. Don't wait till body feels ready, or it feels "comfortable" to get out. There's nothing more comfortable than staying in bed in the morning so it'll never be the right time.
I get up, go to the window and get sunlight in my eyes knowing I'll wake up in a few minutes. This just starts the day much faster
Putting clutter away in labeled boxes
If I wanted to exercise, do some task or practice something, I am setting up a timer for “15 mins and I got to actually finish what I needed to do and sometimes I go beyond the set timer but the “15 mins” is a good start for me to do something consistently
Best tip I ever received was "MAKE USE OF MICROSOFT OFFICE". What has made me most productive is scheduling my tasks for specific days of the week and placing each task on the Calendar as a recurring item, which helps me to never feel overwhelmed by all that I must do. I utilize the Notes feature to place any information needed to complete my tasks and the Tasks feature to place any last minute, unscheduled assignments. Doing so keeps me on a schedule and avoids me from neglecting anything. It has been an excellent tool. Also, I keep an ongoing log of any new thing I discover or learn. Doing so has made me a truly valued member of my team.
Using a planner. Not on your phone, a good old fashioned planner that you write what you need to do down every day, appointments, etc.
Mine has a page for every day of the year, plus a whole to do list page for each day as well. It’s life changing 👌
Stop reading productivity books and do the thing
But that’s hard 😁
They are so addictive
Get off reddit too. Or any social media. It's pointless bickering, wasted time.
I stopped for a year and the wasted time on here was put to good use. I seem to have slipped back into the habit though as you can see.
Good sleeping habit. Surprisingly works better than working overtime
Just do it for one minute. Everyone can do one minute.
Studying at the library back in college
Regular mental health days
- Batching Similar Tasks: Multitasking is a myth, but strategically grouping similar tasks can significantly boost efficiency. For example, dedicate specific times for emails, phone calls, or administrative work. This minimizes context switching and allows you to focus deeply during each batch.
- The Eisenhower Matrix: This prioritization framework helps categorize tasks based on urgency and importance. Urgent and important tasks get tackled first, while urgent but less important tasks might be delegated. Non-urgent but important tasks get scheduled, and unimportant tasks are eliminated. This structure helps you focus on what truly matters.
- The "Two-Minute Rule": For any task that can be completed in two minutes or less, do it immediately. This prevents a growing list of small to-dos that can become overwhelming and chip away at your focus.
- Progress can be made more fun.
For example, if you’re a programmer but kinda dislike your job, doing fun pet projects might be a good idea to reignite your passion.
Or if you’re studying a foreign language, you can watch your favourite shows or play videogames in this language.
- Doing little and not finishing is better than not doing at all.
For example, it’s better to do chores bit by bit every day (even if you don’t finish them), than to wait for a week to do everything at once
“Don’t sacrifice the good for the perfect”
Oh this came it at the PERFECT time!
Thank you
No zero days
That wouldn't work for me, I need off-days but love that it works for you
I thrive in a laid-back environment. The more relaxed I am, the more productive I become.
When you feel lazy or can't get going listen to what feels the best on your brain and do what feels natural without forcing it too much and it won't feel as much like work and might be more enjoyable. You still get everything done but get the ball rolling slowly so it's bearable.
Grab my coffee and go to my shop no matter how I feel. Put on music or my kitty might demand Cat TV then just start doing something, I find this leads me towards the work I need to do. For me I might just start oiling my machines then I remember that project I put on hold or sometimes I just need to organize and dust. Something gets done
Stay standing. I try to not sit as much as possible and it forces me to get stuff done otherwise it’s hellishly boring to be standing around.
Understand that your goals and priorities are just that, your own. Everyone has their own priorities and goals in life. The best way to accomplish something that involves another person is to identify their priorities and find a way to align your goals with theirs.
This is easier said than done but will help you move 10x faster than you would on your own.
If there is something on your to do list that doesn’t get done then break it up into smaller parts. I just did this today. Instead of “pull weeds” I wrote “pull weeds on north side of house.” And I did just that.
This hits home. I struggle with a sleep disorder that makes everything a slog. I wake up very early, get dressed and leave for work. If I were to lolligag whatsoever, I would end up calling in. Zero chance I could work second shift. Same on weekends; if I chill on the couch with the family in the AM…forget about it. If I wake up, get dressed and step outside - it will be a productive day.
Waking five minutes at the start of every hour. Really, after that it becomes easier to start anything.
One that's been growing on me is the question "Is now a good time". Whether it's big or small ask yourself and anyone else when saying something needs to get done, is now okay?
Dana K. White said "better is always better" (or something very close to that) and it is one of my mantras now, along with her "progress and only progress" method.
I have to remind myself that anything worth doing is worth doing a little bit/half assed/or just started!
If you want to continue to repeat the pattern of productivity as much as possible, you have to “unpack” the habits, trends, and the reasons why you were productive in the past.
Once you bring this to your realization, you will be able to better repeat this pattern of good productivity.
It is as simple as asking yourself questions.
What did I do differently that day I was productive and got a lot done?
Did I make a list?
Did I get more sleep?
Did I motivate myself?
Did I cut back on certain things?
Did I increase more positive things?
You get the point. If you can do this only 50% of the time, it will be a huge positive change.
At both ends of the scale, macro and micro:
Understanding why I was procrastinating. In my case it was unrealistic childhood expectations and perfectionism and the book "The Power of Now" helped me see that. Understanding the root causes didn't solve my procrastination overnight but it has had a positive long term effect, and so has sorting out my mental health in general. Make sure you're not sticking a plaster on a wooden leg.
The Pomodoro method. I use an app called Foca and it has carried me through some hairy work projects.
Making the bed + 4 hours deep work
Break everything down into tiny chunks and take frequent short breaks to do bursts of exercise in between your little blocks of work time.
There are two main reasons you will procrastinate:
- Because a task feels too big to tackle.
- Because you don't want to sit working for hours at a time.
If you break everything down into smaller sub-tasks and only work in small chunks of time, this completely eliminates both of these problems. Then the work day feels easy and fun and you can just crack on and get things done one little bit at a time.
For breaking time into chunks, I recommend the Pomodoro Technique, or its more flexible cousin, the Flomodoro/Flowtime Technique. There are various timer apps available to help with this.
For breaking tasks into smaller chunks, I recommend an app like Notion, which allows you to have to do lists within to do lists within to do lists.
Additional tips:
- Cut out all distractions: put your phone in silent mode and only focus on the task at hand. Important calls can be scheduled in advance. You don't need to be randomly interrupted.
- Beware of busywork. These are tasks that keep you busy but don't actually achieve anything.
- Don't keep checking your emails constantly throughout the day. You don't need to read emails as soon as they arrive in your inbox. Schedule 2-3 times a day for emails and ignore them the rest of the time. Anyone who has unrealistic demands about how quick you should respond can piss off.
I heard somewhere: imagine focus time as if you’re in a theater watching a movie. When you’re watching a movie, you zone in and focus on only that right? It’s helped change my mindset a bit.
The simple trick of having a deadline and not quite enough time to finish the work.
Do what I want to do, not what I think I need to do. When I’ve done what I want to do, it’s much easier to do what I think I need to do.
When working from home, I put on 'Work with me' or 'Study with me for 3 hours' videos and I get so much done
Setting strict boundaries on work hours, including not working past a certain time and avoiding weekends, greatly improved my efficiency and allowed me to maintain my hobbies and interests.
you don't need more than pencil & paper
Self discipline and habit making. Just nike that shit.
Learning to say no
Consistency over perfection. Too much stigma of this idea of “going big or go home”, “don’t half ass anything”. Sometimes you don’t have enough in the tank - just show up, and do your best. Maybe that’s lighter loads or smaller reps. Maybe it’s less pages than you usually read. It’s okay.
I don’t know if it’s necessarily helped me be more productive but it has really helped me keep my life more organized which means I use less time Messi no about cleaning up and more time on the task. The tip is to keep telling myself “don’t put it down. Put it away.” Doing this has really helped declutter my life and keep me on a generally more efficient and productive lifestyle.
Don’t put it down, put it away.
If you have an object in your hand don’t just put it down on a table or the counter to take care of later, put it away where it belongs.
Give up coffee and sleep instead. Coffee is masking sleep deprivation.
Adderall. LOL 🤣🥲 no really though it’s the need to break into hyperfocus. If I learned how to do that/I had that ability the whole time, I would not be too bad off now
The right clothes. It‘s crazy how much more productive I am when I wear a proper outfit instead of my comfy clothes.
Running in the woods. With a clear mind and blood flow to my brain and body, things are so much easier and quicker. I have so much less resistance and more equanimity.
Multitasking is an illusion. Pursuing it makes you less productive.
Turn off your phone, or leave it in another room.
Don't have social media. It's not enough with not using it while working. You're always craving it if you normally use it.
Trade perfect for done. It doesn't have to be perfect! Especially if it's not your core competency or it's your first time. Do a B+ job.