How to Increase Productivity
In a recent post, I went over some of my favourite goal setting methods that have worked for me in the past. Sometimes though, the issue isn’t coming up with ideas of what goals you want to work on, but which goals, when and for how long? Prioritizing a list can be helpful, but sometimes your “list” needs to be more of a living document as things can change during a single work session. In this blog, I’m going to go over 6 philosophies to help you decide what to do, and to get it done!
The first method is the Pomodoro Technique. The idea is helpful when you have distractions stopping you from being efficient. First list your items you need to get done. Then rank them and take a look at your top three. Pick one, set a timer for 25 minutes and work straight through that time frame. After your 25 minutes is up, take a 5 min break. Repeat this for about 4 rounds and then take a longer break. By breaking up your work sessions you know you have a break coming up so you will be less distracted by things like doom scrolling. Setting timers in general can help you stay on track or at least clock a little earlier when you’ve come off the rails.
The next method is the 3/3/3 Method. This method focuses on categorizing tasks so that you get a broad list of items done in one work session. First, you spend 3 hours working on one important, larger project. After this you switch to complete 3 short but more urgent tasks or meetings. And finally you shift your focus for the last time to do 3 more items that fall under maintenance to keep you and your work moving efficiently. This method is nice because you spread your time over short term and long term projects, while also making sure your regular to do items don’t get ignored.
The next method is the Eisenhower Matrix. This takes urgency and importance to a new level. This method helps you prioritize and evaluate items on your ‘to do’ list into one of four categories. If you create a simple chart with two columns; urgent and not urgent, and two rows; important and not important. Items that fall under urgent and important and top priority. Do those items first. Urgent but not important can be delegated as they must be done quickly but not by you. Not urgent, yet important items are scheduled to the future to be done by you. Finally, not urgent and not important you consider just eliminating those items from your list altogether. This method helps you save time wasted on projects that are not a priority to be done immediately or to be done by you.
The next method is Mark Twain’s “eat the frog” method. This comes from a Mark Twain quote “If it’s your job to eat the frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” This method is simple and says to focus on the bigger harder tasks first and sort of decrescendo into simplicity and ease. As you lose steam in a work session, you may want to take the biggest bite out of your ‘to do’ list first and then chew on the rest.
Next up is the Seinfeld Strategy. This method has worked for me a lot in the past, and it helps me not give up on a project before I start to see the fruits of my labour. Set your goal and then mark a calendar each day you work on your goal. Try not to miss more than one day in a row. This will give you a visual representation of how consistency pays off.
The next method deals with distractions. By preparing and recognizing potential distractions, you stay on track and waste a lot less time. The three areas this method looks at is Interruptions, Impulses, and Immersion. Interruptions are obvious. Look at potential and past interrupters in your day, and preemptively mitigate them. If that means headphones, closing a door, or even putting up a sign on your workspace, being distracted less frequently helps you save time and energy. For impulses, what can you do to reduce your impulse to pick up distractions (ie your phone)? If your phone isn’t near you, you will pick it up less often. Silent your phone to reduce other distraction like non-work repeated texts and emails. Finally, the Immersion relates to how one can reduce the immersion time spent on a distraction (like doom scrolling). For example, if you are taking an active break and that includes a bit of social media, put a timer on so that your break stays at 15 minutes (and not 50 minutes).
Finally, the last method is Time Blocking. Start by making a ‘to do’ list, and then move items around that are more similar or can be done more efficiently as a grouping. Block out your day into time slots and then assign certain time slots with activities. Once you have your day blocked out, stick to it as a schedule, moving on to other projects when the schedule dictates. This will help you schedule a longer work day, and allows you to reflect the next day on what blocks worked well, for what activities.
Sometimes when I create one large ‘to do’ list it can be overwhelming. I’m not sure where to start or how to prioritize my day. Using these methods above or some sort of combination truly helps with efficiency. In the end, you must make sure whatever really needs to get done gets the time and attention to complete the task. I always like to switch to more “fun” projects when I find myself losing focus. Get up, move a bit, get some fresh air, get a glass of water and above all else, don’t be too hard on yourself.
