Fresh Focus On Productivity!™

Welcome back!

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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First of all, I’d like to say thanks to everyone who wrote in or emailed me with ideas and answers about last week’s post on using ICal and/or Gmail.  I’m playing with some of the options to see what I like – and can figure out how to use – this week.

One of my favorite comedians was George Carlin – sadly, he passed away this year, but I was thinking about him and one of his routines on Saturday night.  I’ll tell you why in just a minute. By the way, if you’d like to see a video of him doing this routine, you can find it on YouTube. I didn’t post it because I think Kris runs a “G-rated” blog – and Carlin definitely wasn’t G-rated.  (To find it, type in ‘George Carlin – Stuff’). He said something during that routine that resonates with me sometimes – he used to say, “If you didn’t have so much stuff, you wouldn’t need a house.  That’s all your house is – it’s a pile of stuff with a cover on it…”

Anyway, the reason I was thinking of him was because I was the “victim” of a conspiracy that involved sneaking around behind my back, being spied on and coerced against my will! (Okay, that’s a little dramatic – it was my birthday last Tuesday, and on Saturday night, my husband had a surprise party for me!). So while a girlfriend of mine played Mata Hari and took me shopping (she knew about the party), my kids “cleaned the house”…

And so, when I came home after spending a wonderful afternoon shopping – and finding some really incredible bargains – including some things to organize my kitchen and bathroom – I found 25 people hiding in my living room – and when they all jumped out and yelled ‘Felicitations!’ (the French word for ‘Surprise!’) I almost had a heart attack!

It was after the party was over that I discovered the truth about how your house is really “just a pile of stuff with a cover on it!”

Because I’m still in the process of reorganizing my files – by putting them back into the new filing cabinet (since we’re not moving after all) – I still kind of have piles sitting around in my office.

We have a pretty good-sized apartment – but to comfortably fit 25 people (30 when you include us) in it – especially for a party – we open up the French doors to my office, the dining room and the living room, push the furniture out of the way and add assorted chairs for sitting and tables for all the hors d’œuvres, as well as the obligatory balloons, streamers, festive music and even – for those who want to – room to dance. (All these rooms open up onto the central entryway – so with the doors open, it kind of turns into one big room).

Anyway, the boys were faced with the dilemma of what to do with all the “stuff” in my office.  Their decision was to pile it into laundry baskets, and ‘hide’ them in my room.  They also piled all the extra electrical cords that we were going to go through before the move into a box – and shoved it into my room too.  And after that, there was so much “stuff” in there anyway, it became the logical place to cram anything else that was in the way while they were organizing things… And then, because they didn’t want me to be suspicious when I got home, they piled everyone’s coats on my bed, so the coat rack would be empty. (Although to be honest, I was so tired after a marathon shopping day that I probably wouldn’t have noticed!)

But basically they turned my bedroom into a huge ‘pile of stuff’ – which I spent yesterday and today going through and purging and organizing – finally!  I’m feeling pretty good about it – and for the first time in a while – feel like I’m gaining some control – Hey!

This GTD stuff really works!

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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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Through my traverses through the internet, I’ve come across oodles of sites that are GTD related, as well as many online cloud applications. I’ve also heard mutters that jumping in on the GTD bandwagon and then trying to “cash in” on the GTD bandwagon is something for which you should be ashamed.

You know what? In this day and age, it’s everyone’s prerogative to be passionate about what they love. People nowadays can have their own sites and thoughts about GTD and it’s application and can share this with anyone in the world.

If something become popular and the creator is able to make money from it, it’s not them trying to “cash in” on GTD. It is because what they have out there on the ‘net is important to other people, and they have a genuine interest for what you are doing. They like what you have to say, or the application that you have created, or the things that you custom design.

I know that personally I did not start with GTD because I had dollar signs in my eyes. As a matter of fact, if you look at the early days of my blog, it was a technology blog with program reviews and all things technology related. I switched to GTD around May because I loved the process, I had been in organization my entire life, and knew that I wanted to share what I know and what I’ve experienced to the entire world.

I do not have visions of grandeur for what I do, but I do know that the skills that I have in regards to organization are unique and rare. Not everyone has them, but I love sharing what I do have so that others can learn.

What do you think about people doing what they love and profiting from it? Let’s talk about it.

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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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If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Updated for 2009!

A revolution in calendar design, that you can print for yourself!

What exactly should a calendar do? And how should you use it to get the most out of your day?

Rule number 1: Your GTD Calendar should not work against you.

Your calendar should be your guide, a map or a directory to get you through your day. The layout of the information should be designed to work with your natural viewing habits. It needs to help you, not hurt you.

Rule number 2: Your GTD Calendar is not a ‘to-do’ list.

A calendar is a tool that is supposed to tell you where you need to be and when you need to be there, or when something is scheduled to happen.

For those of you familiar with David Allen’s Getting Things Done productivity system, you know that only three things are to be entered into your calendar. Three things. That’s it.

1. Time-specific actions

“Time-specific actions” are, simply put, appointments or meetings. These are the things that have to happen at, you guessed it, a specific time……..

Click on the "Raw Information In, Data Out" banner at the top to see what he’s offering this year. He’s got some great stuff!

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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!


__________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!