What’s in your productivity toolbox?

What’s in your productivity toolbox?

Just like there are basic tools we use around the home, there are basic tools that belong in your productivity toolbox.

Minimal Productivity Tools

There are three tools that need to be in your productivity toolbox: a calendar, a task list, and a notebook.

They can be electronic, paper or a mix. But they are the building blocks of a good productivity system, either at home or work.

Why these three?

• Calendar. This keeps track of your time-bound commitments. This is the framework within everything else will work. Without having a sense of what moves you through time and space, you will be unable to be effective.
• Task list. This is where all the things you need to do go. They can be organized as projects, bucket lists, or just things you need to remember at the store. The task list is what will help you fill in the spots between your calendar framework.
• Notebook. This is where all the details of things go. Ideas, minutes of meetings, reflections…anything that is not scheduled in or needing to be acted on.

With these three things, you can arrange everything to hit peak productivity.

Don’t Misuse Tools

A word of caution: don’t misuse your tools. Yes, you can keep appointments in your task list. Yes, you can keep tasks on your calendar. Yes, you can keep notes in your tasks and appointments. But mixing these tools is like trying to pound in a nail with a screwdriver. It will work, but it isn’t the most efficient, and misses can be painful.

Cutting Away The Fluff

Productivity doesn’t have to be complicated. If you are using an overly complicated system, a good chunk of your time is going to be spent doing upkeep on the system. That time could be better used doing things that are on your task list, or recording ideas in your notebook.

Your productivity toolbox doesn’t have to have lots of tools, just three. And with the three: the calendar, the task list, and the notebook, you can build all the rest of the things you need.

Tell me what your favorite brand of tools are in the comments.

Image by florianric. Licensed under Creative Commons. No changes made.