6 tricks that improve productivity better than a to-do list
Productivity / / January 06, 2021
A to-do list is a good way to keep things on track and not forget about them. However, he himself can become a distraction, because he can be endlessly replenished with small details and never get to the really important.
“If you live solely on a to-do list, you’ll only be dealing with crises, not doing what matters most to you,” notes Stephen Covey, author of the famous books The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It is not necessary to completely get rid of the list - it is better to correctly combine it with one of the following techniques (or all of them).
1. Personal mission
Personal mission is your long-term goal. It is a charter by which you can orient yourself in life. Include your values and aspirations in the mission. “It doesn't have to be long or thoughtful,” Covey says. - This is just a couple of sentences that reflect your essence and your values». For example, your mission may be to help other people or to achieve a specific goal in some area.
Whenever you need to make a decision, a personal mission will be your guide. It can also be used in planning. Try to allocate your time not a day ahead, but a week. Choose your priorities for this period based on your personal mission. Then your daily activities will bring you closer to important goals.
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2. Attention audit
The downside to a to-do list is that it lumps together completely different tasks. It seems to us that we will be able to move from one to another in order without problems, but, according to the author of the book Attention Management by Maura Thomas, our attention is not arranged at all So.
She advises to divide all tasks into two categories: low and high attention. And perform them throughout the day, depending on how much energy do you have. For example, the first category might be parsing mail, and the second might be writing an article or making a budget forecast. By adjusting to your levels of focus and energy, you will get more done in less time.
3. A friend to report to
This gives motivation to do what you have planned for today. If you don't have a friend to help you out, Hillary Rettig, business coach and productivity writer, recommends the app Focusmate. It will find you a partner to work with, so that you are definitely not distracted.
“Focusmate is helping to solve one of the biggest problems (and paradoxes) of productivity,” says Rettig. - Many tasks require loneliness to concentrate and think, but at the same time, we are incredibly social creatures and do not cope well with loneliness». The program automates the search process and gives you access to a global community of people who also want to do a good job.
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4. Evening questions
Jones Loflin, consultant and time management writer, advises keeping yourself motivated by evaluating yourself. Come up with a few questions to be answered at the end of each day to make sure you concentrated on what you need. And then evaluate how well you did. For example, one of Loughlin’s questions is: “Did I try to spend at least 15 minutes building a relationship with someone?”
“I have questions for three key areas of life: work, self-development and relationships,” says Jones. - I change them as needed. I love all sorts of competitions and want to get the highest score in the evening, so my questions are on my mind all the time throughout the day. "
List your questions based on what areas of your life you want to improve. For example, “Have I been attentive to my loved ones today?”, “Have I spent at least an hour moving forward on the path to my dream?”, “Have I done something to improve my health?”
5. Concentration hour
Add at least one such hour a day to your calendar and at this time focus on the work that matters most. No distractions or entertainment. Put timerto know when the time is up and get started.
One hour is often enough to get you done quite a lot. And scheduling this time without distractions is easier than trying to work at peak productivity all day. If you can, set aside two or three hours of total concentration.
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6. Clear goals
Being productive is spending most of your time doing activities related to your most important goals. Business strategy consultant Hamish Mackenzie recommends having no more than three key annual goals. Break each one into three quarterly and three monthly subgoals, and then into steps that take less than two hours to complete.
“At the beginning of each week, prioritize these steps by day — but no more than three per day,” Mackenzie says. - Each evening, prepare all the materials you need to work on an important task for the next day. Do this most important task every morning before taking on anything else. ”
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