How to be productive - Part 2 - Methods

In #productivity

In Part 1 of this series I describe some of the apps I've used. Here I speak about some of the methods I have tried to be productive.

The List

Here's a list of some of the resources * GTD (Getting things done) - this is perhaps the universal "To Do" methodology. Most people seem to have a love/hate relationship with this method. * Zen to Done - a simplification of the GTD method. * 12 Week Year * Finish by Jon Acuff * The Art of Charm Podcast * The Productivity Show - excellent, specific advice on productivity * Kevin Kruse - Extreme Productivity - podcast seems to be over, but binge listen to this! * Pomodoro technique

The Takeaway

  • The filing system for resource materials described in GTD is golden. Basically, just alphabetically, one folder per letter. Doesn't matter whether you are filing "pet alligators" with "asthma paper" because you know close to where you need to look (e.g. is "asthma" under "asthma" or "medical"?). There usually isnt so much to look through that it takes long to find, and you simplify the filing so that you're more likely to do it.
  • The "2-minute rule" from GTD and zTD. If it would take more less than 2 minutes to do, do it right now.
  • To-do's should be actions not nouns
  • Choose your MIT (Most Important Todos) each day - 3 of them - and get them done first.
  • If it is important to do, put it on your calendar, in 15 minute blocks.
  • Pomodoro rocks! 25 minutes, for me, seems to be a good time-period for getting a single non-trivial thing done. Trivial things (like email) can be done in 15 minute blocks.
  • Put "check email" on calendar, only for 2 specific times a day and don't look at it otherwise.

As I am trying bullet journaling, I will post an update on that method, and how it compares to the digital methods I've tried.