The search for greater productivity is a never-ending treadmill. No matter how productive we are today, there is always room for improvement, there is always another system or method out there that can lift us to another level. The goal, of course, is to waste less time and get things done.
A practical technique that really complements your personality and workflow style. may Increase your productivity. On the other hand, the pursuit of such a technique can transform into a “the grass is greener” mentality that wastes more time than it saves 10 Time-Wasting Habits You Must Quit Today 10 Time-Wasting Habits You Must Quit Today here or there doesn't seem like much, but it all adds up! Could it be that you are wasting your time on mindless habits? We will show you daily tasks that you can abandon. Read more . Don't fall into that trap.
At the end of the day, you should be content with finding a technique that is “good enough” The best productivity tool is the one you actually use The best productivity tool is the one you actually use In a productivity-chasing world, every shiny new app of productivity promises something new. But are we missing something when we change our productivity apps too often? Read More But if you haven't found one yet, here are a few you might not know about. Hopefully you don't have to look any further..
I'm a big fan of the Pomodoro technique and I highly recommend giving it a try. We have already covered how it works and why it is so effective. But even though it works for a lot of people, it doesn't work for everyone. If you've been burned by the Pomodoro Technique, then the flow time technique may be what you need instead.
What about Pomodoro? For some, the constant threat of a timer can be distracting, and perpetual interruptions can be disruptive, especially when “in the zone.”
Flowtime attempts to provide the same benefits as Pomodoro (ie time tracking, task removal, and regular breaks) without the accompanying stress or interruption. This is how you do it:
Instead of strictly alternating between, say, 20 minutes of work and 10 minutes of rest, the Flowtime technique allows you to work for as long as your brain wants. In the morning, you may be able to get 90 minutes of work done before your first break, while in the afternoon you may need to switch between 10 minutes of work and 10 minutes of rest.
This is also a great way to find out what time of day you are most productive. Discover your most productive hours with this simple method Discover your most productive hours with this simple method Build your perfect work day around your energy levels. This simple Excel spreadsheet and a few seconds of work each day could help you change your habits and get more done. Read More
Most productivity tips and systems have one glaring flaw:They focus too much on getting organized. it is not enough in solving things . Don't get me wrong, I think organization is an important part of productivity, but would you rather spend an hour completing your tasks or managing your to-do list?
This is where the autofocus method shines. It's designed against the popular science productivity advice we hear every day; you know, those tips that sound good but are actually detrimental to your workflow and progress. Stiffness and overload are eliminated. Promotes real progress..
Start by creating three separate lists:
Start by filling in the New list with all the tasks you need to complete, then draw a line under the last task. All tasks above this line are "old tasks." Every time you need to add another task, do it below the line, these are “new tasks.”
Now, go through the old task list one by one. If you can work on the current task now, get to work.
If you get to the bottom of the previous tasks, ignore the new tasks and go back to the top and repeat. Once you get to the point where you can't complete any of the previous tasks right now, you can start on the new tasks. When you can't complete any of the new tasks, go to the Recurring list in the same way, then to the Unfinished list.
It gets even easier if you use a list-based task manager like Trello. Trello Guide to Life and Project Management Trello Guide to Life and Project Management Trello can help you get organized. It is a free tool to manage any type of project. Read this guide to understand its basic structure, navigation, and how Trello can help you. Read more.
The key to the autofocus method is that it only focuses on one task at a time. Single vs. Multitasking:Which Is Best for Productivity? unique vs. Multitasking:What's Best for Productivity? Multitasking is a common method to increase productivity. Turns out it's not necessarily the silver bullet for productivity. The key is knowing when to multitask. Read More:The system just makes it easy to know what task is next, hence the name "autofocus." There is absolutely no prioritization of tasks in this system. You just walk through and complete tasks.
The Stoplight Method it has a similar feel to the autofocus method above, but its biggest benefit is its more streamlined process. While the complexity of the autofocus method makes it useful for large projects with many tasks, the stoplight method is best when you only have a few tasks each day.
All you need is three lists:
Just focus on the red list. When the red list is empty, go to the yellow list. When it's empty, it turns green. At the beginning of each day, change tasks from green to yellow or from yellow to red as needed. This is obviously much easier if you use digital lists.
I first found this system on Reddit and haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else. Note that it's not a completely unique or innovative system, but it can be extremely useful, especially if you pair it with a note-taking app that can handle color-coded lists, like Google Keep (which is impressive to many others). reasons too 7 tips to take better notes in Google Keep for Android 7 tips to take better notes in Google Keep for Android If you use Google Keep for Android, these tips will make your experience that much better. Read more).
If there is one “rule” that has contributed the most to my own productivity, it would have to be the 10-minute rule . To be clear, there are actually two different 10 Minute Rules floating around the internet. I only use one of them, but I'll cover them here for your convenience.
The first variation is for when you're procrastinating on a task How to Stop Procrastinating:The Only New Year's Resolution You Should Set for the right time Stopping the procrastination is the only New Year's resolution you need. This is why. Read More :You only need to spend 10 minutes of effort on the task, then you can stop if you want . Actually, I adapted this from my novel writing days when I used to tell myself that I only had to commit to writing 100 words. If I wanted to stop after that, I could stop without feeling any guilt..
This rule works because 10 minutes is usually enough to get you "in the zone." If you can get past the initial 10 minutes, you'll probably find that the task isn't as bad as you thought, and you'll be happy to continue.
The other variation is for when you have too many tasks and feel overwhelmed:each task on your to-do list should take no more than 10 minutes to complete . If a task doesn't adhere to this rule, you should break it down into smaller tasks that fit the rule.
This rule works because it puts you in the right mindset to set the right goals. If you know a task won't take more than 10 minutes, you won't be overwhelmed by it, it becomes easier to summon the energy to sit down and tackle it. Psychologically, it's much easier to tackle six 10-minute tasks than one 60-minute task.
This last technique is a bit unusual compared to the previous ones. Instead of using a carrot or a stick to lead you to higher productivity, it aims to get you to think about productivity in a different way. It does not demand more of you. Rather, it is designed to make productivity more enjoyable. I'm talking about Keep a productivity diary .
At the end of each day, take five minutes to record all the things you accomplished. On a good day, maybe you completed 15 tasks. On a bad day, maybe you only finished one or none. All that matters is that you record honestly.
The benefits are double. First, it eliminates the stress of deadlines and the guilt of an unchanging to-do list. Second, it provides a history of your productivity. When you feel lost or unmotivated, you can look back and see that productive days are possible for you, which can even boost confidence.
This method is perfect if you have tried all sorts of productivity apps, tips, methods, strategies and found none of them helpful. How to be productive when productivity apps aren't working for you. How to be productive when productivity apps. Don't work for yourself You should note that the last few years have been about an obsession with productivity. But what if productivity apps don't do it for you? What will you do after? Read more . Some people just aren't wired for to-do lists and deadlines. Si te sientes así, entonces un diario de productividad podría ser la alternativa perfecta..
Un sistema de productividad solo puede hacer mucho. Al igual que un entrenador personal, puede ayudarlo a mantenerse motivado y puede ayudarlo a lograr el éxito, pero nunca puede hacer el trabajo real por usted. E incluso después de encontrar un sistema que funcione, su productividad podría verse afectada por otros factores.
Por ejemplo, una mala configuración de la estación de trabajo 7 Hacks para hacer que su escritorio sea más eficiente para una máxima productividad 7 Hacks para hacer que su escritorio sea más eficiente para una máxima productividad ¿Siente dolor o fatiga? Are your eyes hurting or is your neck killing you? A streamlined workbench could cure your ailments and increase your productivity. Leer más y malos hábitos en el lugar de trabajo 9 malos hábitos que lo están cansando en la oficina 9 malos hábitos que lo están cansando en la oficina ¿A menudo se siente cansado en la oficina? El problema podría estar en los pocos malos hábitos que ha recogido. Elimine el agotamiento de la vida de su oficina con estos consejos de desarrollo de la salud. Leer más puede arruinar tus niveles de energía. Realmente necesita usar su computadora de la manera correcta Use su computadora de la manera correcta para aumentar la productividad Use su computadora de la manera correcta para aumentar la productividad Dado el tiempo que pasamos con nuestras computadoras, usted pensaría que todos los dominaremos como maestros expertos sus herramientas El problema es que rara vez nos comprometemos a aprender. ¡Vamos a cambiar eso! Lea más para maximizar la longitud y la intensidad de su productividad, y puede ir un paso más allá al agregar múltiples monitores a su configuración Cómo ser más productivo con monitores dobles Cómo ser más productivo con monitores dobles Necesita espacio para varios documentos, para obtener una visión general y cambiar rápidamente entre tareas. Lo que es cierto para su escritorio también se aplica a su área de trabajo virtual. Te mostramos lo que importa. Read more.
El sueño también es un factor que no puedes ignorar. No necesariamente tienes que dormir. temprano - no todo el mundo es una persona de la mañana Cómo mantenerse productivo si no es una persona de la mañana Cómo mantenerse productivo si no es una persona de la mañana ¿Te has dado cuenta de que despertarte temprano apesta y ya no lo estás haciendo? Relájate, no estás solo. No necesitas ser un madrugador para tener éxito. Leer más - pero necesitas dormir bien . Use una de estas aplicaciones de seguimiento de sueño 10 Aplicaciones de Android para rastrear y mejorar su sueño 10 Aplicaciones de Android para rastreo y mejorar su sueño Estas aplicaciones seguramente lo ayudarán a dormir mejor por la noche. Leer más para ver cuánto “buen sueño” Lo estás consiguiendo y, si falta, qué puedes hacer al respecto..
¿Cómo te sientes acerca de tus propios niveles de productividad? ¿Qué consejos o trucos has usado para resolver las dilaciones y distracciones? Share with us in a comment below.!
