Productivity porn It’s like a finger pointing at the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all of the heavenly glory!— Bruce Lee. The internet is full of productivity tips and techniques, more accurately known as productivity porn. And I plead guilty. I’ve learned a few things the hard way that are not often mentioned. If you really deeply care about something, you will do it. So what do you need a system for? Do not confuse activity for progress. How To Stay Productive After Work I've had to come to terms with this. I have ideas for things that would be cool, but I'm usually too tired in the evening. After getting everyone fed, I just want to sit on the couch and watch YouTube. My husband has been great, nudging me towards not beating myself up over needing to relax. If I don't have the energy, I just don't have the energy, and I need to tend to that, not push myself until I fall over in a heap. This article is probably for the single people on this site with no kids (93% of readers). Also, why YouTube? I am seriously addicted to Let's Plays of various RPGs, especially ones that I played when I was a kid, but only vaguely remember now. I could play them, true, but then I'd be up until 4am.
Change a Habit in Three Steps with This Flowchart I'm going to promote your comment by way of calling you out for being a bullshitter extraordinaire. Nicotine is one of the most famously addictive substances known. There are many cases reported of people who were told they had cancer, were on drugs and treatment to help them fight cancer, and yet could not stop smoking tobacco. The BBC had a documentary about this phenomenon at least 15 years ago. If you claim that you simply stopped your addiction to tobacco and 'it was easy', I can only suspect you to be either a liar or someone with above-human psychological abilities. Next, you denounce anyone who can't lose weight as being 'weak, lazy' and lacking motivation. You're a troll, right? Fuck you. I do know many people who have just quit tobacco, even after many many years. The simple fact is some people can do it, others cannot. Plenty of people quit that way.
Practice your personal Kaizen A fine article. But as a resident of Japan who's spent over half his life speaking Japanese, let me take this chance to address one common myth. "Kaizen" in Japanese does NOT mean "continual improvement", or have any mystical managerial significance. It's a mundane, generic word meaning "improvement" - any improvement, continual or not. If you step up to something, make a quick, one-shot improvement, and walk away forever saying "All done! (An aside: Leading Japanese companies like Toyota make continual improvement a core practice. Toyota and some of its contemporaries have indeed developed advanced, powerful methods for continuous operational improvement, within the context of their industries. Of course, if modern management gurus in the US (or wherever) want to latch on to the word "kaizen" as the new name for "continuous improvement", they're welcome to do so; words gain new meanings all the time.
The 10 O’Clock Rule This is a nifty one, simple to implement and, in my experience, surprisingly effective. Set your watch to beep every night at 10 o’clock. When your watch goes off, get up that instant and prepare for morning. Whether you’re in the middle of watching a DVD, rushing to meet a work deadline, reading that one last blog entry, etc., get up and get rolling. Your Morning Prep Checklist In addition to brushing up, walking the dog, and otherwise getting ready for bed as usual, do as many morning tasks as you can ahead of time: Plan breakfast and make sure the fridge is stocked (if necessary, run out to the grocery store to stock up on milk, eggs, etc.) Once you’ve figured out which tasks can be done, write them down on an index card and keep it handy. Organize Your Space I inherited a lovely little stand for hanging out your outfit, wallet, and keys for the next day from my grandfather. This 10 o’clock routine might take anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour. Reap the Benefits Photo by jmv.
The Simple Secret to Time Management: Jedi Time Tricks 15 Bad Habits Which Always Destroy Your Productivity Do you feel as if your productivity levels are at an all time low? Do you find it more and more difficult to complete work in a timely, and efficient fashion? You might be sabotaging your productivity without even realizing it. 1. Taking six hours to write a simple, one-page e-mail really isn’t the best use of your time. 2. There will be times when you just can’t complete your work in a timely fashion. 3. Do you stare at your schedule, thinking about how best to use every last minute of your day? 4. Quick, when was the last time you left your desk for a break? 5. You need food – and water – to survive. 6. Is there an app on your phone, tablet or computer that you absolutely despise? 7. When’s the perfect moment to start planning your dream vacation, clean out your closet or look for that new job? 8. E-mail is a tool that should be used to help you do your work, not distract you from your work. 9. Do you start working on the first item you receive in your e-mail inbox? 10. 11. 12. 13.
Create your own virtual writing retreat | Remembering English Sadly, lately my writing has taken a backseat to everything else. So last week, I decided that I would use the long holiday weekend for an unofficial writing retreat. “Unofficial” essentially means that I didn’t need to apply, travel, or formally do anything other than pledge to write — perfect for such a last-minute decision. When I mentioned this to my friend Wendy Call, an alumna of Hedgebrook, she too was up for the idea; she’d already been part of a more formal virtual retreat, Hedgebrook Writes (a brilliant idea). Writing time is precious and necessary, but let’s face it — we can’t always leave home; we can’t always plan ahead. It was a great weekend overall, and I learned a few things that will make my next one even better. - Just do it. - Gather your fellow writers together. - Clear the decks. - Create your space. - Stay offline. - Give yourself guidelines. - Afterward, assess the pros and cons, the highs and lows. - Schedule retreats often.