Personal Productivity Methods
I came across this blog article https://blog.doist.com/personal-productivity-methods/#getting-things-done
Before getting into the article, one might consider the definition of productivity. The Oxford English Dictionary equates the term with being creative and generative. Economically speaking it relates to output from the combination of land, labor and capital.
Super productive people share a few characteristics:
Focus, focus, focus so… You can do deep work only if distraction free
Manage your energy and attention
Prioritize so someone else won’t do it for you
Look at your mindset – use meditation, and mindfulness for that important focus
Plan tomorrow at the end of today so your routine the next day starts effortlessly
Batch together similar tasks – like phone calls or routine, quickly done items
Step out of your comfort zone sometimes to push yourself – do something new
Use the 5 second rule – if you have an instinct to act, you must physically move in 5 seconds or you tend to lose the opportunity.
Defend your creative time viciously – don’t give in to distractions during your creative time
For focus especially for those with tendencies of attention deficit, more easily get distracted from thier work. Reduce those distractions by tailoring your computer notifications. All the beeps, clicks and pop-ups get in the way. Maybe only let notices from your boss, important customers, or spouse come through while the rest can wait. Even tailor notices on your watch, if that pulls you away. Macs with Monterey OS and IOS users with IOS 15 can use a feature called Focus to help keep distractions at bay. Here’s a link to get started. https://www.macworld.com/article/353477/how-to-macos-monterey-set-up-customize-focus-modes-mac.html
Thoughts will enter you mind that are not related to your work, so, if you feel that they are important, jot them down quickly on a note card or use, the Evernote icon on you task bar to make a Quick Note so you can move on. Most operating systems also have their own version of “sticky notes” for a quick thought.
Tablets, rather than a computer, may be helpful also as you can essentially only have one or two apps (maybe a split screen) open so as not to go down a rabbit hole in another app.
Noise in offices or home environments can pull you away from deep work so try headphones or earbuds/airpods to cancel background sounds.
Distractions come in many forms. If your desk or workspace is cluttered it may draw away your attention. Think minimalist… what is the minimum gear/tools/equipment do I need to get my work done?
Revisit the Pomodoro technique – force yourself to sit still and produce for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break and then do it again and so on.
Recent studies from well-known consulting firms indicate that more workers are more burned out than in the past. Improving one’s productivity may help reduce that feeling.
Let’s begin with an introduction to discuss several personal styles of productivity. We are all different and respond and interact better with one or combination that fits our style. Fourteen methods are discussed below. Some are tactile, some visual and some are mixed. Look at this the list and see what might work for you. Nothing is fixed and we usually modify a system after we become familiar with it. There is something for everyone (or nearly everyone. ). The article lists some which are quick to adopt/start up and some are more comprehensive for more complex tasks/projects.
Here’s the list. When you open the article link above, the list at the left of the webpage is a link to a more in-depth discussion of the technique.
Productivity Methods Overview
Personal Kanban
Time commitment to get started: Low
Type: Visual, Tactile
Perfect for people who: Have a tendency to start a lot of projects but finish very few of them.
Eating Live Frogs: Do the Worst Thing First
Time commitment to get started: Low
Type: Abstract
Perfect for people who: Struggle with procrastination.
Must, Should, Want
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract, visual
Perfect for people who: Need to prioritize a large number of tasks but tend to go for lists over graphs.
The SMART Method
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract
Perfect for people who: Are in the early phases of a big project and need to strategize before jumping in.
The Action Method
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract
Perfect for people who: Need to turn creative brainstorming into an actionable to-do list.
Time Blocking
Time commitment to get started: Low
Type: Visual, abstract
Perfect for people who: Find small tasks and interruptions are taking over the whole day or those who have more than one major area of work that they’re responsible for, especially managers.
Biological Prime Time
Time commitment to get started: High
Type: Abstract, visual
Perfect for people who: Love data and self-experimentation and want to optimize their days for maximum productivity.
Getting Things Done
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract, visual, tactile
Perfect for people who: Are feeling overwhelmed with the number of things they are responsible for and need a way organize it all.
Systemist
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract, visual, tactile
Perfect for people who: Feel overwhelmed with the number of things they need to do, but find maintaining a Getting Things Done system too time-consuming and complicated.
The Medium Method
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract, visual, tactile
Perfect for people who: Love the concreteness of pen and paper to-do lists, but have too much to keep track of to rely only on pen and paper. If you like to slow down to review and really process everything you’ve learned and thought throughout the day, this method is for you.
Pomodoro/Sprints
Time commitment to get started: Low
Type: Abstract
Perfect for people who: Feel like there’s never enough time in the day, but have a tendency to get distracted.
Don’t Break the Chain
Time commitment to get started: Low
Type: Visual
Perfect for people who: Want to adopt new daily habits.
The Eisenhower Matrix
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Visual
Perfect for people who: Like graphs, have trouble seeing things in black-and-white, and would rather prioritize on a continuum than stuff tasks into a few categories.
Agile Results
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract
Perfect for people who: Are goal-oriented and are tackling complex projects and need to keep to a timeline.
The To-Done List and the To-Don’t List
Time commitment to get started: Medium
Type: Abstract
Perfect for people who: Spend too much time worrying about how much didn’t get done yesterday or have a lot of bad habits that prevent productivity.