Making A Tool Work for You
Not all tools can be used optimally by all people. This applies whether it is a physical tool like a hammer or a productivity system. Today we will look at an approach to allow you to get as much out of a tool as you can. I've always maintained that there is no magic bullet in productivity. The best we can do is assemble a toolbox of methods and systems and make them work for us. No one system is going to work for everyone in all circumstances. It's a matter of how we use the tools to get things done.
Podcast Episode 10: The Every Day List
Life can get caught up in the day to day task list items. So much so that we forget about everything except crossing off the next item. In today's show I will talk about an every day list. We'll look at what they are, how to make one, and how to make sure you do them.
30 Day Challenge: Planning The Night Before
I had thought to tackle something major this month, but honestly, I need something that is going to help me stay on track rather than something that is going to shake the foundations. And for that reason, I have decided that this month's 30 day challenge is going to be to plan the night before. I've noticed that when I have a plan when I get up, I get more done that day. It doesn't seem to matter if I actually look at the plan first thing or not. It doesn't even seem to matter if I don't look at it until lunch. But having that plan already set means I will get it done, because somewhere my brain recognizes that it's been done.
30 Day Challenge Wrap Up: Spending Freeze
For my 30 Day Challenge this month, I did a spending freeze. As I talked about when I started it, I wanted to reduce the stuff I was bringing in to the house, and see if could manage to break my spending habit. It wasn't easy, but I got some great results. Read on for more details.
What is Multi-tasking, Exactly?
Back about 10 years ago, multi-tasking was touted as the way to get more done. Doing two things at once is better than one, after all, right? Not so fast...(literally and figuratively!) When I first heard about multi-tasking, I really thought it was a good idea. After all, who doesn't want to do two things at once? But I quickly realized that when I was doing two things that required the same skills/senses/appendages, I seemed to lose track of what I was doing altogether. Today we'll look at what multi-tasking is, why it is bad, and what to do instead.
Episode 9: How To Pick Your Next Project
You have a list of projects. How do you know which one to focus on? It all comes down to return on investment, at least in terms of time and energy. Today I will give you a way to rank your projects to make it a bit easier to figure out which one to tackle next.
12 Productivity Lessons from The Princess Bride
Productivity advice can be found pretty much wherever you look. I was watching the Princess Bride a few days ago and realized how much of the movie can be applied to make my life more productive. I work on a team of men that constantly quotes movies. Apparently it is catching, because there are a few that I toss in myself. But the Princess Bride is one that has so many quoteable lines that when I decided to write an article on finding productivity in odd places, it was the first one I thought of. So let's have fun storming the castle!
What To Do When Things Start Feeling Off Kilter?
Over the summer, making deliberate choices about my life and activities have fallen by the side of the road. Not deliberately (no pun intended). It just has happened due to a lack of intention. Things have slipped over time, and I am conscious of not being very satisfied with how my life is right now. I've been very conscious of self-care and what it means in relation to the rest of my life over the past few months. I'm still recovering from the effects of severe stress. I find that it means I need to pay more attention to how I am feeling physically and take corrective action. At the same time I feel myself pressured by the stuff, both physical and incomplete, in my life. Maybe it's been coming on slowly the past ten years or so, but I find myself in a place where I…
