Fresh Focus On Productivity!™

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61. When I put something into my inbox, I completely trust that it will get done…or I know why it’s not getting done and am comfortable with it.
This is one of the great things about the GTD methodology: if you use the system right, things that you put in your inbox will get done. I typically do those just previous to my Weekly Review so that I can see just exactly what I’ve accomplished from my inbox, and what needs to be put back in again for the following week.

62. When I commit to doing something for someone, I completely trust that I will do it…or I’ll let them know ahead of time why I can’t complete it.
I’ve written several articles about commitment and honoring what you tell people that you are going to do. I’ve made no secret that it is a BIG pet peeve of mine when people and corporations do not hold fast to what they tell me. So I would guess that my answer would come as no surprise.

I will always hold fast to what I tell someone. and if I am unable to hold up to my end of the commitment, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will tell you just as soon as I know. You can really make someone’s life very difficult by not sticking to your word.

63. That low-level anxiety I used to feel around my “stuff” and my work is completely gone.
I wouldn’t say that it’s completely gone, but I will say that it has lessened a great deal. Some of the minuscule details may fall by the wayside, but I’m proud to say that I am much more comfortable with my system than I was a year ago.

Tell me: how are you on trusting, committing and anxiety? Let me know in the comments!

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You've read the series, now get the E-Book! Special EXTRA material not included in the blog series, plus three FREE templates!! Templates included are Time Management Matrix, Goal worksheet, and The Completion Journal. Only $24.99 for the book!


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I’ve seen quite a few posts recently stating that GTD is “really effing hard” and that “the amount of time and effort it takes to (according to the book) manage a list of tasks, a calendar and some filing shit has become prohibitively long”.

Hmmm.

I’ve always been a proponent of tailoring everything in your life to suit your needs and the way that you work. I’ve done this with GTD as well as my personal productivity and organization. Why would someone continue doing something that is not making them as happy and as productive as they can be? I guess it puzzles me.

If something that you are doing does not please you, change it. Review what you do and how you do it in order to tailor it to make yourself the most productive that you can. If you need to cut, sew and hem to make GTD fit you, then by all means do so. Nothing in this life is hard and fast. It all well and good to follow a methodology to assist you in being organized and productive, but if it’s a chore and frustrating you instead of helping you, then change it. Keep all the most important tidbits and fit in the fabric that will make the system work for you.

I might also mention that nothing in this life that helps you be productive and organized is easy. Anything worthwhile takes time and persistence. But know yourself and know what to tune and tweak in order to make the system work for you.

How have you tweaked your system to be more efficient and productive for you? Tell me in the comments.

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You've read the series, now get the E-Book! Special EXTRA material not included in the blog series, plus three FREE templates!! Templates included are Time Management Matrix, Goal worksheet, and The Completion Journal. Only $24.99 for the book!


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Oh, yes….it’s that time of year again! The time of year when people make New Years’ resolutions, get sidetracked, and FAIL. Shame, shame, shame.

So let’s do something different this year. Let’s make GOALS. We know how to make goals, and with goals we are less likely to fail. Let me explain why.

When making New Years’ Resolutions, we resolve to do something in the new year. It’s hard to plan to do something “in the future”. We need to work “in the now”. If we plan goals, and write down the steps to achieve those goals, then we have a path and a plan of action. New Years’ Resolutions, in my opinion are too general: too vague.

Goals can be set the SMART way:

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

I’d like to start an exercise for the New Year: I’d like people to submit their New Years’ Goals to me for publishing on FFOP. You can remain anonymous if you’d like. I’ve attached a worksheet here, and there is also one that you can get at this link. I’m pretty sure that you have to register to get the one I’ve linked: I had to register.

Use either of the worksheets and submit them to goals@freshfocus.info. I’ll need them by midnight EST on Dec. 30th, in order to have time to post them all. That gives you fourteen days to complete one. If you wish to remain anonymous, please tell me that in your email.

Can’t wait to see your goals! This is an exciting exercise where I think we can all learn from one another!

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You've read the series, now get the E-Book! Special EXTRA material not included in the blog series, plus three FREE templates!! Templates included are Time Management Matrix, Goal worksheet, and The Completion Journal. Only $24.99 for the book!


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This weeks’ guest post is from Neal Jansons. See his bio at the end of the article for a link to his site!
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Hello, readers of Fresh Focus! I was asked by our wonderful host to write on how I stay productive, and so that is what I will try to do. First I must confess that, in a prior era, I would not have been productive at all. I would have been a basket case, twitching and obsessing about too many projects to count. Only modern technologies allow me to manage the number of tasks and activities I have in each day’s schedule. As an independent contractor who generally works for corporations, I am often given large task lists that need to be accomplished in little time, and sometimes a whole project will shift gears overnight and I will have to rewrite vast chunks of work on a moment’s notice. I also must maintain a strong social media presence on several different services for work purposes, and write my own fiction and philosophical work. All of this requires careful planning, and before modern computing and the internet, I would have died of exhaustion long ago.

So how is it done?

Work Smart, Not Hard

First things first, you have to remember that there is no virtue in doing things the hard way. Your workspace, computer, and software need to be chosen to allow the most productivity with the least annoyance and wasted time. Because of this I recommend the following:

1. Use a Mac for your main computer. I am not saying become a huge Apple fanatic and invest in mock turtlenecks and a vague air of superiority; I am saying that by using a Mac for your main computer you will spend far less time arguing with your tools and more time using them. Macs simply have better all around integration of their features and require less maintenance and tweaking. (I have to disagree Neal. I’ve used a PC all my life and am pretty productive! *grinz*)
   

2. Optimize your online life. Gmail, Google Reader, Evernote, the list goes on and on…the web abounds with online services that will speed up your overall workflow and keep your data safe. By keeping your data and workflow primarily online, you are able to access that data from any computer and most phones and keep it safe from hard drive issues and data loss. Properly managed, even a complete system failure can be easily recovered from, returning you to work quickly. (Mild digression: once, while doing quest design and backstory for a role-playing game, my computer ate itself hours before I had deliverables due. Like most game companies, the client was on a tight production schedule, and they were freaking out when I told them what happened. In less than an hour I was back online, ready to work, and got the job done on time. Moral of the story: keep everything “in the cloud”.

3. Create a workspace that caters to your tendencies. People think differently, and so the best space to do that thinking in will vary from person to person. Make sure that your workspace is free of petty annoyances and is conducive to the best work you can do. This is harder than it sounds…many of us are used to trying to ignore the small annoyances that interfere with our work, but these “little things” are often death to overall productivity. Make sure your chair is comfy, that you desk is the right height, that your mouse and keyboard are comfortable, and most of all make sure that your personality is reflected somewhere in your space…posters, music, and “World’s Best Dad” coffee cups are an incredible boost to morale.

Keep a Schedule

Much of the wasted time and energy of any project is trying to figure out what to do next. False starts and unclear plans lead to nothing but frustration and confusion. Take the time at the beginning of each workday, week, and month to plan out your basic strategies for that period. Google Calendar is a great way to keep track of your appointments from anywhere, can be set to send you an SMS text on your phone to remind you of upcoming events, and you can easily sync it with iCal.

Be Flexible

A lot of our day-to-day frustrations and time-wasters consist of trying to rigidly maintain a plan in the face of unexpected changes. This is natural; humans are uncomfortable with ambiguity and prefer to have a clear set of rules to follow. However, there is a point where this rigidity becomes frustrating, as the real world is very bad at living up to our plans. Thus, when your schedules, priorities, and plans get torn to shreds by a change of circumstances, try not to hold on to the old plans; they no longer apply. Instead roll with the punches and more times than not, you will come up with a new plan that will work much better.

Be Positive

This will sound like a cliché, but I swear it is not: a positive, optimistic, and friendly outlook will make you more productive. This is not because of some supernatural principle, but because a good attitude keeps us from being as easily annoyed and frustrated. We more smoothly switch tasks, deal with changes, and feel like tasks are less daunting.

Know Your Limits

If you are any good at what you do, people are going to ask you to do it. A lot. This is normal, and it is also normal for you to want to do it. But none of us (as far as I know) have superpowers; we all need sufficient rest, food, and relaxation. Some of us may believe that a “good worker” takes every task that comes their way, never sleeps, and works 24 hours a day, but the fact is that someone who is sleep-deprived, malnourished, and depressed from lack of enjoyment generally makes a poor worker. You will be better at your day-to-day work if you set reasonable limits on how much you will put on your plate at a time. Be responsible to yourself, and you will be far more capable of fulfilling your responsibilities to others.

Have Fun!

All work and no play makes Puck a dull–and unproductive–boy, and I warrant it will do the same to you. Break up your work periods with regular “fun-breaks”. Take a walk, play a game, chat with a friend, whatever gets your juices flowing. Make sure you set a time limit, but make sure you really try to enjoy the break without worrying about your current project. You will return refreshed and able to work much more productively than before.

“Little” Problems Kill Productivity

Sharp readers will notice a recurring theme: the removal of constant annoyances and irritability. This is because the removal of these elements, and all things that contribute to them, have been the biggest aid to my productivity I have ever found. As I discover better ways to arrange my efforts, I find that I accomplish more because I am not wasting time and energy constantly fixing and dealing with “little” problems. “Little” problems add up, and by rooting out the places where they occur in your work you can be happier, more productive, and spend less of your free time recovering from the trials of the workday.

What Do You Think?

This blog is about sharing ideas on how to be productive, so share yours: what other tricks and strategies for eliminating “little” problems can you think of?
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Neal “thePuck” Jansons is a writer, copywriter, and consultant in new media. A lifelong geek interested in just about everything, he maintains several blogs and is the founder of the Social Media Philosophy Project, an attempt to address the philosophical implications of social media and web 2.0 technologies. Check out his blog at http://thepuckwrites.com for tips on being a writer in new media.

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You've read the series, now get the E-Book! Special EXTRA material not included in the blog series, plus three FREE templates!! Templates included are Time Management Matrix, Goal worksheet, and The Completion Journal. Only $24.99 for the book!


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