A Practical Time Blocking Example
Time blocking is a great way to get things done efficiently. Today I show you how I do time blocking, including pictures of an actual day's result.
The Basics of Managing Energy
One of the things that came out of the 2020 Reader Survey is that people are struggling with energy management.
I’m not a naturally energetic person. In fact, some of those same readers made the comment that not everyone has energy to manage everything that I do.
I laughed until I cried at the thought that anyone in the world thought that I was a peppy and energetic person. I’m not. I don’t sleep well. I don’t sleep enough. I’m often irritable from lack of sleep. I sometimes want to put my head down on my desk and nap.
But over the years, I have learned how to manage my energy, and even what to do to increase it. So today I present the Energy Primer.
I’m not a naturally energetic person. In fact, some of those same readers made the comment that not everyone has energy to manage everything that I do.
I laughed until I cried at the thought that anyone in the world thought that I was a peppy and energetic person. I’m not. I don’t sleep well. I don’t sleep enough. I’m often irritable from lack of sleep. I sometimes want to put my head down on my desk and nap.
But over the years, I have learned how to manage my energy, and even what to do to increase it. So today I present the Energy Primer.
Podcast Episode 35: Enough, Tinkering and Routines
In today's episodes, we look at:
- What is enough?
- Tinkering
- Innovation vs. Standardization (routines)
How To Manage Working From Home
Working from home...many of us are doing it right now. Some are doing it better than others. So how can you make working from home successful? Today we look at various ways, including how to make the mental shift to and from working; maintaining an office space; keeping up motivation and the importance of notes.
Applying Pareto to Pareto, or Math Doesn’t Work That Way
The Pareto Principle has been much abused in productivity circles. But I recently saw something that blew me away. Someone suggested that if 80% of the results comes from 20% of the work, then it must also hold that 64% of the results comes from 4% of the work.
Umm, no.
So I'm going to put on my math teacher hat here for a bit.
Umm, no.
So I'm going to put on my math teacher hat here for a bit.
Are You Over-Systemized?
I've believed for a while it is possible to be over-systemized. At the point where our productivity systems, whatever flavor they are, begin to take up more time than they save, they have crossed the threshold and have run up against the Law of Diminishing Returns, where at some point, each additional unit input yields less output.
So where is the sweet spot?
So where is the sweet spot?
Get Started Faster
How many times have you started something just to be stopped by having to fetch needed material or run to the store or do another task first? Wouldn't it be nice just to have everything ready to go? It would certainly help us get started faster.
Little and Often: A Key To Consistent Progress
One of the things that I still struggle with, years into the productivity space, is making my to-do list doable. I don't want to put each step to complete something on the list, because a) I don't need to be reminded that I need to fetch the stepladder when changing a light bulb, and b) the list gets far too long the more granular I go.
On the other hand, if the tasks are too big, then I can't get them done in a small amount of time.
Enter Little And Often, one of Mark Forster's concepts.
I've been a fan of Mark Forster for a long time now. Besides being an eloquent writer, he takes it upon himself to innovate new systems and then try them out in his own life.
On the other hand, if the tasks are too big, then I can't get them done in a small amount of time.
Enter Little And Often, one of Mark Forster's concepts.
I've been a fan of Mark Forster for a long time now. Besides being an eloquent writer, he takes it upon himself to innovate new systems and then try them out in his own life.
Productify Your Phone
A friend of mine called from the road and asked me for the phone number for my mechanic. She had a breakdown, and even though I had given her the number when she told me about her concerns weeks before, she had lost it and never made the appointment. She writes down phone numbers in various places, and never has them with her when she needs them.
If you have a central place to keep your important phone numbers that is always with you, you will never face this situation. And if you enter important phone numbers - before you need them - you'll be even further ahead of the game.
If you have a central place to keep your important phone numbers that is always with you, you will never face this situation. And if you enter important phone numbers - before you need them - you'll be even further ahead of the game.
The Right Tools For the Job
I am aware that you can re-purpose things to serve functions the designer never intended. For example, in college I never owned a tool set. If I had to hang up a picture, I would use a high-heeled shoe to do the pounding.
Not only can the right tool make the job go faster, but finding places where your productivity is pinched can help you pinpoint where you need to find better tools.
Not only can the right tool make the job go faster, but finding places where your productivity is pinched can help you pinpoint where you need to find better tools.