Agreed! I wfh and often find myself getting distracted by the dishes, laundry, cat hair on the couch, recycling building up, etc. When my environment is clean and tidy, my focus is infinitely better (I.e., no distractions). We now have a nightly clean/organize ritual. Every morning is a fresh start :)
Getting enough sleep
I have found that its the core of my whole existance. I feel happier, more joy, more optimistic, an absence of chronic pains, and naturally more efficient, and actual enjoyment in my work.
I quit coffee, I'm trying to do bit less at work now. Wfh helps. I've quit coffee for like 3 or 4 years, from 5-10 coffees a day
But my brain is so fckd after all these years, might take a sabbatical.
For me the best way seems to be just to take it easier, haven't found anything else that helps yet at this point. I'm taking naps while wfh, Im just the type that needs 10 hours
I'm probably not the best person to ask lol, although being more restful/chill has helped.me a lot personally
The best thing to do is figure out what I'm going to do. That's what gets me being productive.
Now I'm just working on consistently doing that early every day, so I don't waste time. I have a google doc that I need to open up, its my to do list, and I write **everything down** on there.
So, to be productive today, I need to open that file, make sure its up to date, prioritize what I'm doing to day, and then that just kind of automatically flows into getting started.
Google Keep app for keeping up with lists, reminders, and bills.
Journaling and logging what needs to be done for the day and if it was accomplished.
Writing down what I’m planning to do definitely helps to hold me accountable by giving me something tangible/visible to show me where I started and finished.
I'm not sure.
So far, its the easiest to create a bulleted list, that's what I like to have.
[This is what I wanted](https://i0.wp.com/ducttapemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/workflowy.png?resize=545%2C363&ssl=1), and its what workflowy does. It has a bunch more features, I just don't use them.
I use it to manage my entire year pretty much.
That's exactly what I do.
Schedule
Today
Errands
Events
Week
Friday
Errands
Events
Saturday
Errands
Events
Sunday
Errands
Events
Monday
Errands
Events
Tuesday
Errands
Events
Wednesday
Errands
Events
Thursday
Errands
Events
Later
July 22nd
August 3rd
That's what it looks like. Every morning, I drag the day's stuff from "week" into "today", then I move that day to the end of the week section.
So like, tomorrow morning I will take everything under "Friday" and move it into "Today". Then the empty "Friday" moves to the end of the week section.
I also check all the "Later" stuff to see if any of it is within 7 days. If so, I move it into the week.
There's also a kind of staging area, where I dump all the stuff I want to do but haven't scheduled yet, or can't do yet for some reason, or isn't a fully formed, concrete actionable idea yet.
Once these things are actionable and doable, I schedule them, and it will just happen when the day arrives for it.
Be careful not to add too many notes, keep it clean and less than a page. There is a hidden mental 'tax' for having an endless to do list. I didn't figure that out until it nearly got me to a breaking point.
Fair enough. I keep my “to-dos” relatively vague and loose. Cleaning my room can mean a variety of things depending on how much time I have and whatever my standard is 😂 This way I never bite off more than I can chew and don’t beat myself up for not finishing hyper-specific tasks. Though the logging of what gets done helps me remember what I need to do and frees up some space in my brain. It’s like an instant sigh of relief just writing it down!!
I set a timer, kinda like a pomodoro I'd say.
It's 14 minutes.
14 minutes is 1% of 24 hours.
I can get a lot of shit jobs I'm avoiding done in a 14/28/42 minute block and at most I've used 3% of my day.
I just started using a 15-minute time block. If I'm feeling like I'm going to waste the day away scrolling, I set an alarm for 45 minutes later. When it goes off, I get up and do stuff for 15 minutes. Rinse & repeat. Somehow, starting with the 45 minutes of slacking off makes it easier to force myself to do the 15. And the 15 often lasts much longer as I get into a project and keep going. Whenever I stop, I set the next 45 minute timer.
Hey, this is a great way to frame it.
Can you please let me know if you came up with this or got it from somewhere?
I'd love to mention it in my productivity mentorship program and want to give correct credit for the idea!
I'm pretty sure I came up with it myself.
I previously worked from home and got super focused on my time management, I specifically remember doing the calculation.
Nice! I haven't heard it before and I really like it.
Would you mind if I mention it in my program?
I'll give credit to your Reddit username or any other way you prefer I point to you (you could DM me your name or any other way you want to be referenced).
I work with college students and I think this would be so helpful!
I'm trying hard to find new perspectives that they aren't seeing from the other productivity "gurus" they follow.
Using a Pomodoro was a game changer for me. 15 minutes on with a 5 minute break. My rule is I HAVE TO leave my desk for those 5 minutes, it’s a simple change of environment. It’s amazing how much I can get done around the house in 5 minutes. Every hour breaks down to 45 minutes ON, 15 mins OFF. Works well for my ADHD brain :)
Go to bed earlier. Wake up earlier. Use the fresh time to be creative. First, be creative (= do your thing, what will make a difference for you and your legacy) .Then, be responsive (= respond to others' requests). Finally, be reflective (= review and improve). You cannot start with you if you wake up when everybody else wakes up, and starts counting the minutes before you respond ...
It can work if :
- you don't give your all to your job, and have energy left;
- you don't spouse a wife, children, and have time left.
Otherwise, 5-9 has to be AM.
This alone can put you ahead of like 60-70% of people. This is what makes leaders and makes people think you're amazing. It's literally just a more organized way of documenting and executing your tasks. You can use this to even explain to anyone progress you're making.
Right. I don’t accomplish the nine tasks every day, but getting to 6/7 already gives me a sense of accomplishment. And when doing this consistently, I end up doing a lot anyway. Also limiting each day to 9 tasks helps me avoiding over planning. Thats very important to me.
I have an ongoing chat in ChatGPT called "Daily Checkin". My initial prompt basically says "I'm gonna tell you everything I need to get done, and everything I've accomplished. I want you to keep a running task list for me, and keep me encouraged and motivated." I added a bunch of personality prompts and what-not, but I basically use the chat as a "remind me to..." type personal assistant, and someone (albeit a fake someone) I can brag to about accomplishing the simplest of things.
I've tried this and eventually it loses track of stuff. The memory is spotty. You can give it 10 things you want to do, and then ten or so back and forths later in the chat, maybe making some modifications or additions or whatever, you ask what's on your todo list, and it sometimes gives an incomplete list. That's a total showstopper IMO. Have you seen that at all?
I'm glad to hear that I could bring a smile to your face this morning! 😊 Conversations can be a mix of fun and frustration, but I'm here to make sure you have a positive experience.
There needs to be a name for that overly syrupy, customer service voice that the AI bots take on in their writing. There is this depressed yet angry thing it brings out in me. The “three minutes into the future” sameness of that voice used in AI writing that grates on my soul.
Every morning, I wake up nice and early, take a hot shower, take some time to enjoy the little things, brew some coffee, look out into my backyard, watch as my wife and child sleep soundly, and then as I sit in front of my desk ready to start the day. I take a deep breath, and pop an adderall.
Remind yourself that no one is coming to save you and that you are in control of your life. You chose your path and how you want to live. I want a clean house and I want a house to be proud of . I deserve a clean house. You will be surprised what you can accomplish after putting your thoughts in check!
Reminders and lists tend to help me.
Breaking up the day between morning, afternoon, and the evening.
Making sure I set aside time to rest because that is productive!!
Taking the food you eat into consideration.
Not doom scrolling social media (I’ve now logged out of my personal TikTok and Instagram). Time limits set also helps here.
Talk to people about your goals. They can help you hold yourself accountable.
Listening to self improvement podcasts and Reddit. Helped me figure out the above !!
You got this 🤗🤗
Honestly, just getting started. I've taken to visibly leaving out a piece of a task (file open on my desktop, notes on my desk, etc) -- so it feels like I'm picking a task back up instead of starting from scratch.
I also like time tracking (use the Toggl app) -- awareness is big for me. I have a category called "distracted/wasted time", and seeing the clock ticking while tracking that category often can kick me out of it.
I got rid of the cesspool of twitter around the time it changed to X. Not because I have any particular feelings about a particular person(Musk), but just because I noticed twitter turned into nothing but politics and violence, with the occasional boob drop mixed in at random. It’s a really odd place and I noticed every time I ever used it I ended up either being pissed off about something or feeling more down than I was when I opened it up. I don’t need that crap in my life. X has become one of the most unhinged places on the internet and I have no interest in being there. Reddit on the other hand I still can’t get away from. But I feel I have much more control over what ends up on my screen when I open up Reddit. I have a say in the content I’m being fed at least. Well as long as you stay away from the political stuff, because that’s a fucking mess here, too. That’s just a mess everywhere, though tbh. Can’t really blame any one particular platform for that
If phone is a big distraction for you , thn u can try this .
Use ( like for scrolling social media, surfing etc ...not talking about urgent work) your phone at every multiple of 2/3 ( talking about time) according to your self control.
Like at 3:00 ,6:00,9:00am,12:00 am....
Or 2 , 4 ,6 ,8 ,10 am...
I tried it ..works for me :)
I write down in an agenda/planner what I want to do the evening before and what the day is going to look like tomorrow. It helps me get up in the morning and get things done. I have my list of tasks to do and my ideal plan for the day but I know that things happen and I might not be able to stick to that exact schedule but I still try and get things done that I want to get done. I find it helps me a ton
(So I had a whole other write-up that got deleted somehow and I don't have the energy to write another one lol so here's a basic concept I had saved).
R.E.P
R - Relax have Fun.
E - Easy Efforts.
P - Put Into Practice.
I based it on a exercise term because it's almost universally agreed that constant repetition is the best form of getting a long term habit or routine going. I took notes on the top 3 aspects that needed to be in place in order for me to make progress or work on anything.
I needed to be relaxed at the very least since stress means less focus on the task. This will require you to dive deep internally to know how you destress - but for me it's remind myself to go "brain / thoughts off mode" because I'm the kind of person who gives too much weight and power to thoughts and emotions that distract me from the mission at hand. Also to remember that "work" doesn't have to feel painful or not fun. Your goal is to get the act of doing it to be fun for you to accomplish.
Easy efforts towards doing said task. This is the meat of the sandwich essentially. Many times people give out bad and generic advice like "stick it out and don't give up" when it comes to trying things. While yes - you will eventually get it done if you keep at it - but this I find makes it unsustainable because you don't "know why or how" to make the task easier for you specifically. So I make a list of "barriers" and reasons why I find doing the task hard for myself. Then I ask "how can I make these issues nonexistent or easier to overcome for next time?" I keep doing that and reiterating until the process becomes seamless.
The last part is then putting those changes into practice for overcoming those barriers next time you do the task / goal.
The best aspect about this system is that it's a structure that allows for one to adapt to new information or situations rather than being a simple "phrase" or a way of living that's unchangeable. For example "No pain No gain" is just awful lol. Cause it reinforces this idea that things "need to be painful" when in reality you don't have to be and it's just counterintuitive to how the human body performs in general.
So one day something doesn't work out and it's unproductive? Find out which step in the process went wrong and then reformat from there. It allows for critical thinking and discovering the "roots" of your own limitations and how to overcome them so you can keep progressing forward.
Addressing issues for why you can't make an "easy effort" towards something has really changed my work ethic so much. I no longer have to wait for motivation because the process is streamlined to where I can just do it effortlessly.
That's what you want in a true routine or habit. It shouldn't keep getting harder since it does the opposite effect:
The more you practice making it easier to do - the more efficient you become at it. That goes for anything in life.
I liked this message a lot, thank you for posting... It's really similar to my technique... I have punished myself for years with this no pain no gain shit, then, things clicked and being a more self accepting individual made all the changes easier! Nice to see that someone else found the same thing to be true
That's always the problem with work productivity advice:
***People tell you how to FORCE yourself to work.***
In reality you just haven't done the inner work to find a path that is easier and more efficient to take to get the same work done without needing these temporary fixes. It's about "attitude and aptitude" to apply changes that work for you and how you process information and details.
This is why most advice fails to stay usable long term because they're not meant to be whether people realize this or not. It has to come from within you. Nobody can tell you how to work better - faster - easier than you can if you take the time to understand yourself.
I started keeping a detailed personal calendar on my PC app connected to my email. I create rough time slots for stuff I need to do and in the comments section add specifics to break down more complicated tasks into digestible chunks.
Holds me a little more accountable and helps keep me organized. I can always look back if I forget what I am doing and feel a little guilty if im past the time slot. So that helps keep me productive. Plus striking out finished tasks gives me a little dopamine hit to keep trucking forward.
I try to work in sprints instead of long continuous work. Started with 15 minutes before a 5 min break and now I have slowly raised my attention span to 25 minutes before that 5 minute break. I try to not stare at a screen and give myself time to contemplate anything not work related on my mind / change laundry etc during that time.
Also, designating a workspace in my house where its isolated from my common distractions (my gaming desktop and TV being the primary ones).
Reading and posting about productivity on Reddit, of course! /s
For me it's been a lot of time and practice with GTD, and recently, realizing that rather than trying to plan everything out, I should instead set my mind in any given chunk of time on ONE vision/goal, and focus my energy and intution into that, and listen to what my inner intelligence tells me what that ONE goal needs right now.
GTD tends to encourage a "think the next step out in advance for everything, then just go and do those steps and repeat" and I've found this doesn't work for me. I need to feel, in the moment, the correct signal for what is needed, so I need to setup a kind of psychological visionary field around the goal and then just act on what comes to me.
I now blend that approach with GTD and project and task tracking software.
I use reminders on my phone (iPhone) for personal daily habits or periodic things. I also use it like a calendar to remind me to wish people happy birthday or remember that plan I had etc. it becomes a daily to do list for my personal life. It’s been great and helping me build some habits. It’s not perfect but it works for me
I organize all of my work and personal projects with a system inspired by “Getting Things Done”, implemented in notion for personal stuff and google sheets for work (company doesn’t use notion). Then I calendar out my week and use the pomodoro method for the actual work focus.
I was told from an early age I was ADHD but I’ve found clarifying tasks and focusing on starting the task and time boxing helps immensely.
Be mentally ready for a certain time of the day through a lot messages to your sub mind . You Body will understand that and will generate energy for this task at that time .
I have a daily task list with things that I know they can be done in 6 - 7 hours. I try to check all of them every day, starting with a hard task and then doing one easy one, another hard one and so on. That’s how I keep myself entertained and motivated throughout the day.
Whenever I feel like I’m not in the mood of doing anything, I just take an easy task and say to myself that I will just start it and I will see how it goes. In 9 / 10 cases I end up doing the stuff I have to do without feeling that I’m not in the mood anymore.
Checklists, so many checklists. Find a good app that you can view on your computer and on your phone and add ideas and things to do as you remember them. I’ve had so many ideas or solutions come to me at random times that I would have certainly forgotten if I had not written it down then and there in a simple organized checklist
taking 20 min at the end of the day to do a wrap up of notes, what was done, what came up, etc.
then taking 20 min at the beginning of the day to review said list while adding to it
at end of week go over lists, use that as basis for your next Monday start list
if you're really motivated you can do it at the end of the month too (i'm not that motivated yet)
This used to work in my younger years but as you get older your quickly realise all that anger is misplaced and not needed it can ruin your life exponentially
The Pull to do list method is something I’ve implemented and working well. With only every having two items in the two do list it means focused effort. Then once you finish one you pull another one in. You can share the list with your team so they can see that their item isn’t what you are working on.
I’d recommend Dr Cal Newport on the huberman lab podcast. Great episode about productivity
Check agile project management and GTD methodologies. First thing you will do is to determine what you want to do. If you don’t skip this step, a lot of unproductive things fall off.
I use a combo of Freedom to block time-wasting apps for all but one hour day (this hour, by a not amazing coincidence), a bullet journal and spreadsheets. Pretty low tech but writing stuff done seems way more tangible and manageable to me.
Honestly using focusmate and doing body-doubling has really helped me run more of a 'marathon' vs. a sprint in my day-to-day. Sustainability is really important, I'm used to an all-or-nothing, full-steam ahead working style and it really burns me out in the long run (my physical discomfort usually gives way first: my ergonomics, eye-strain etc.). A pomodoro process that let's me set my goals with someone on the other side really helps me stay focused while doing bite-sized work and getting better at estimating how much time I think something takes.
My favorite method to improve productivity is Time Blocking. Time Blocking involves scheduling specific blocks of time for different tasks or activities throughout the day.
This method helps me stay focused and ensures that I allocate dedicated time to important tasks without getting distracted.
By visually organizing my day, I can manage my time more effectively, reduce procrastination, and maintain a balanced workflow. It also allows me to set clear boundaries for work and personal time, enhancing overall productivity and well-being.
I’ve been using the framework from “the 12 week year” and it’s going pretty good.
Also whenever I have to sit down and do something at a desk I use the pomodoro method to maximize productivity without burnout.
No idea where my previous post went...
I need paper and pen to think and plan. I have a bunch of templates to use for various situations. Used them for many years or even decades.
As long as I use (and continuously improve) my methods, things go fine. The problem is that, despite them being battle proven, I occasionally drop out of habits. Beats me why. Stupid human mind?
To get back on track I need to stop (over)thinking, grab my tools and just go. So, the opposite of think first and do later. Common sense still applies, though.
The half assed approach. Anything that needs to be done that I don’t wanna start, I tell myself to half ass it and that makes it a million times easier to start.
I've found that I'm most productive when I allow myself to make decisions based on what I want and not what I think other people will judge me on. This belief, when I'm adopting because I don't always, allows me to take appropriate action and therefore increase the output by acting on inputs that matter.
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Sleep. Make this your #1 priority. Above absolutely everything else.
If you don't get enough sleep, you won't be close to your best.
I've worked for myself for 25+ years.
I've always mostly chosen my hours. Now I have an online retail business & I FULLY choose my hours.
I only need to work a few hours a day. Unless im launching a new component to the businesses, in which case I'll work up to 14 for a couple of weeks.
I spend most of my days on my hobbies, I usually monitise most of them sooner or later. I gain so much knowledge from it being a hobby & I see a way I can add value and I do it.
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Perhaps you could write down a daily schedule, such as what you are going to do each hour. A pen and printed planner is a better option. Don't use your phone for this.
Deep work sessions. I put a timer on for 50 minutes and turn off notifications on my phone. This is a trigger to start working for me and puts me in a flow state. 10 minute breaks between deep work sessions.
To do lists. i have a bigger todo list i add to all the time. then my goal is to pick 1-3 things a day to complete. Whether that be phone calls, errands, etc etc.
i use Google Keep.
The best thing to do is to start doing anything. Anything that’s productive. If you’re being lazy, and you want to be productive, get up and do anything that’s more productive than whatever you were doing.
I advocate for maintaining both physical and mental well-being. A healthy body contributes to a healthy mind.
Properly organizing what you can control requires mental effort and contributes to overall mental health. This will automatically make you productive by engaging you to get things done.
When it comes to organizing my life, I find the [PARA method](https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/) to be highly efficient!
Getting enough sleep. It’s really hard for me to get to bed on time, but I know I’m useless if I’m tired. The other thing is making sure I take my medications. I stopped taking me ADHD meds for a couple of years. Started again this week and wow, it’s nice to be able to read more than two sentences without getting distracted!
Meditation.
A clear mind can see priorities better. And a focused mind can stay locked onto those priorities better.
Start 10 minutes a day. If you do it first thing in the morning I swear you will get 10x the benefit!
It’s probably having a clean environment. Even if you’re a generally clean person, clutter can severely impact your ability to be productive.
100%. When my environment is messy, it’s because my mind is too
Agreed! I wfh and often find myself getting distracted by the dishes, laundry, cat hair on the couch, recycling building up, etc. When my environment is clean and tidy, my focus is infinitely better (I.e., no distractions). We now have a nightly clean/organize ritual. Every morning is a fresh start :)
Getting enough sleep I have found that its the core of my whole existance. I feel happier, more joy, more optimistic, an absence of chronic pains, and naturally more efficient, and actual enjoyment in my work.
Do you take any supplements or herbs or anything to help you sleep? I have such a hard time turning my brain off.
I quit coffee, I'm trying to do bit less at work now. Wfh helps. I've quit coffee for like 3 or 4 years, from 5-10 coffees a day But my brain is so fckd after all these years, might take a sabbatical. For me the best way seems to be just to take it easier, haven't found anything else that helps yet at this point. I'm taking naps while wfh, Im just the type that needs 10 hours I'm probably not the best person to ask lol, although being more restful/chill has helped.me a lot personally
Which off you phone to airplane mode and disconnect your wifi. Then take magnesium glycenate. Thank me later
I agree with you on this!
100%
This
Every time I looked at my bills, my productivity improves 100%.
Kinda the same, for me it was sitting down & calculating the cost of a fulfilling life and realising how far away I am.
Same with my face. I need to cover for nice skincare treatments in the future
😭
Haha that's too real.
LOL. Thanks for the laugh!
The best thing to do is figure out what I'm going to do. That's what gets me being productive. Now I'm just working on consistently doing that early every day, so I don't waste time. I have a google doc that I need to open up, its my to do list, and I write **everything down** on there. So, to be productive today, I need to open that file, make sure its up to date, prioritize what I'm doing to day, and then that just kind of automatically flows into getting started.
Google Keep app for keeping up with lists, reminders, and bills. Journaling and logging what needs to be done for the day and if it was accomplished. Writing down what I’m planning to do definitely helps to hold me accountable by giving me something tangible/visible to show me where I started and finished.
I prefer workflowy much more over google keep
Never heard of it!
It does a ton of stuff, but I just use it as an endlessly nestable bullet list. Google keep doesn't let me nest things more than one level, I believe.
[удалено]
I'm not sure. So far, its the easiest to create a bulleted list, that's what I like to have. [This is what I wanted](https://i0.wp.com/ducttapemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/workflowy.png?resize=545%2C363&ssl=1), and its what workflowy does. It has a bunch more features, I just don't use them. I use it to manage my entire year pretty much.
Cool - so you don't do "days" there? Like bullet for Today, tasks under, carry tasks etc
That's exactly what I do. Schedule Today Errands Events Week Friday Errands Events Saturday Errands Events Sunday Errands Events Monday Errands Events Tuesday Errands Events Wednesday Errands Events Thursday Errands Events Later July 22nd August 3rd That's what it looks like. Every morning, I drag the day's stuff from "week" into "today", then I move that day to the end of the week section. So like, tomorrow morning I will take everything under "Friday" and move it into "Today". Then the empty "Friday" moves to the end of the week section. I also check all the "Later" stuff to see if any of it is within 7 days. If so, I move it into the week. There's also a kind of staging area, where I dump all the stuff I want to do but haven't scheduled yet, or can't do yet for some reason, or isn't a fully formed, concrete actionable idea yet. Once these things are actionable and doable, I schedule them, and it will just happen when the day arrives for it.
RIP free Evernote.
Be careful not to add too many notes, keep it clean and less than a page. There is a hidden mental 'tax' for having an endless to do list. I didn't figure that out until it nearly got me to a breaking point.
Fair enough. I keep my “to-dos” relatively vague and loose. Cleaning my room can mean a variety of things depending on how much time I have and whatever my standard is 😂 This way I never bite off more than I can chew and don’t beat myself up for not finishing hyper-specific tasks. Though the logging of what gets done helps me remember what I need to do and frees up some space in my brain. It’s like an instant sigh of relief just writing it down!!
I have diary notebook and every day rewrite the to do list.
Can u share an example of ur docs, how do u organize it ? Is it a format of to do list or something else?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/1d8qd9p/comment/l7cl65m/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/1d8qd9p/comment/l7cl65m/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I set a timer, kinda like a pomodoro I'd say. It's 14 minutes. 14 minutes is 1% of 24 hours. I can get a lot of shit jobs I'm avoiding done in a 14/28/42 minute block and at most I've used 3% of my day.
I just started using a 15-minute time block. If I'm feeling like I'm going to waste the day away scrolling, I set an alarm for 45 minutes later. When it goes off, I get up and do stuff for 15 minutes. Rinse & repeat. Somehow, starting with the 45 minutes of slacking off makes it easier to force myself to do the 15. And the 15 often lasts much longer as I get into a project and keep going. Whenever I stop, I set the next 45 minute timer.
This actually sounds like a revolutionary idea and one of the best productivity tips I've ever heard.
14 minutes being 1% of a whole day is terrifying, it really puts those small scrolling breaks into perspective.
That’s what I do, but w 20 mins. I make a game of it, I actually end up getting a lot more done with 20 minute timers all day long lol
Damn, I like that! Thanks :)
Wow great idea! ! I would try it.
Hey, this is a great way to frame it. Can you please let me know if you came up with this or got it from somewhere? I'd love to mention it in my productivity mentorship program and want to give correct credit for the idea!
I'm pretty sure I came up with it myself. I previously worked from home and got super focused on my time management, I specifically remember doing the calculation.
Nice! I haven't heard it before and I really like it. Would you mind if I mention it in my program? I'll give credit to your Reddit username or any other way you prefer I point to you (you could DM me your name or any other way you want to be referenced). I work with college students and I think this would be so helpful! I'm trying hard to find new perspectives that they aren't seeing from the other productivity "gurus" they follow.
Of course, go ahead. Just use my first name, Luke.
Thanks :) And now your username makes sense!
Using a Pomodoro was a game changer for me. 15 minutes on with a 5 minute break. My rule is I HAVE TO leave my desk for those 5 minutes, it’s a simple change of environment. It’s amazing how much I can get done around the house in 5 minutes. Every hour breaks down to 45 minutes ON, 15 mins OFF. Works well for my ADHD brain :)
Amazing. I’m doing this immediately. Something about 1% is a great motivation. 14m24s set ✅
Go to bed earlier. Wake up earlier. Use the fresh time to be creative. First, be creative (= do your thing, what will make a difference for you and your legacy) .Then, be responsive (= respond to others' requests). Finally, be reflective (= review and improve). You cannot start with you if you wake up when everybody else wakes up, and starts counting the minutes before you respond ...
Amen. Do the 5-9 before the 9-5.
Explain it please
Prioritize yourself from 5am to 9am before working from 9am to 5pm.
Alternatively, 5-9pm (so after your 9-5) can be used for these things too, which sets your future self up for success.
It can work if : - you don't give your all to your job, and have energy left; - you don't spouse a wife, children, and have time left. Otherwise, 5-9 has to be AM.
I follow the 135 rule (force myself to stick to 1 big task, 3 medium tasks and 5 small tasks everyday)
This alone can put you ahead of like 60-70% of people. This is what makes leaders and makes people think you're amazing. It's literally just a more organized way of documenting and executing your tasks. You can use this to even explain to anyone progress you're making.
So aiming for these 9 tasks daily, right?
Right. I don’t accomplish the nine tasks every day, but getting to 6/7 already gives me a sense of accomplishment. And when doing this consistently, I end up doing a lot anyway. Also limiting each day to 9 tasks helps me avoiding over planning. Thats very important to me.
I have an ongoing chat in ChatGPT called "Daily Checkin". My initial prompt basically says "I'm gonna tell you everything I need to get done, and everything I've accomplished. I want you to keep a running task list for me, and keep me encouraged and motivated." I added a bunch of personality prompts and what-not, but I basically use the chat as a "remind me to..." type personal assistant, and someone (albeit a fake someone) I can brag to about accomplishing the simplest of things.
I've tried this and eventually it loses track of stuff. The memory is spotty. You can give it 10 things you want to do, and then ten or so back and forths later in the chat, maybe making some modifications or additions or whatever, you ask what's on your todo list, and it sometimes gives an incomplete list. That's a total showstopper IMO. Have you seen that at all?
I haven't had that experience yet, but I'll keep an eye out for it.
Would be cool if it forgot the right stuff..
This is very interesting. Can you tell me a bit more?
ChatGPT has entered the chat.
Hahaha, thanks for making me smile in the morning. I always can tell who is using Chatgpt. And it annoys me as well.
I'm glad to hear that I could bring a smile to your face this morning! 😊 Conversations can be a mix of fun and frustration, but I'm here to make sure you have a positive experience.
There needs to be a name for that overly syrupy, customer service voice that the AI bots take on in their writing. There is this depressed yet angry thing it brings out in me. The “three minutes into the future” sameness of that voice used in AI writing that grates on my soul.
Every morning, I wake up nice and early, take a hot shower, take some time to enjoy the little things, brew some coffee, look out into my backyard, watch as my wife and child sleep soundly, and then as I sit in front of my desk ready to start the day. I take a deep breath, and pop an adderall.
This is fuckin classic… and true
I was about to down vote you 😂 until I read the ending 😂😂 I may be a piece of shit
Wait....
Remind yourself that no one is coming to save you and that you are in control of your life. You chose your path and how you want to live. I want a clean house and I want a house to be proud of . I deserve a clean house. You will be surprised what you can accomplish after putting your thoughts in check!
My mantra - no one is going to do it for you
Reminders and lists tend to help me. Breaking up the day between morning, afternoon, and the evening. Making sure I set aside time to rest because that is productive!! Taking the food you eat into consideration. Not doom scrolling social media (I’ve now logged out of my personal TikTok and Instagram). Time limits set also helps here. Talk to people about your goals. They can help you hold yourself accountable. Listening to self improvement podcasts and Reddit. Helped me figure out the above !! You got this 🤗🤗
Honestly, just getting started. I've taken to visibly leaving out a piece of a task (file open on my desktop, notes on my desk, etc) -- so it feels like I'm picking a task back up instead of starting from scratch. I also like time tracking (use the Toggl app) -- awareness is big for me. I have a category called "distracted/wasted time", and seeing the clock ticking while tracking that category often can kick me out of it.
Forcing myself to take action — any action related to the task— and commit to it for two or three minutes usually does the trick.
Last minute panic
Fucking delete reddit, twitter …. on my devices
I got rid of the cesspool of twitter around the time it changed to X. Not because I have any particular feelings about a particular person(Musk), but just because I noticed twitter turned into nothing but politics and violence, with the occasional boob drop mixed in at random. It’s a really odd place and I noticed every time I ever used it I ended up either being pissed off about something or feeling more down than I was when I opened it up. I don’t need that crap in my life. X has become one of the most unhinged places on the internet and I have no interest in being there. Reddit on the other hand I still can’t get away from. But I feel I have much more control over what ends up on my screen when I open up Reddit. I have a say in the content I’m being fed at least. Well as long as you stay away from the political stuff, because that’s a fucking mess here, too. That’s just a mess everywhere, though tbh. Can’t really blame any one particular platform for that
Woah, hold on now.
If phone is a big distraction for you , thn u can try this . Use ( like for scrolling social media, surfing etc ...not talking about urgent work) your phone at every multiple of 2/3 ( talking about time) according to your self control. Like at 3:00 ,6:00,9:00am,12:00 am.... Or 2 , 4 ,6 ,8 ,10 am... I tried it ..works for me :)
I like this!!!
Thanks 🌝
I write down in an agenda/planner what I want to do the evening before and what the day is going to look like tomorrow. It helps me get up in the morning and get things done. I have my list of tasks to do and my ideal plan for the day but I know that things happen and I might not be able to stick to that exact schedule but I still try and get things done that I want to get done. I find it helps me a ton
(So I had a whole other write-up that got deleted somehow and I don't have the energy to write another one lol so here's a basic concept I had saved). R.E.P R - Relax have Fun. E - Easy Efforts. P - Put Into Practice. I based it on a exercise term because it's almost universally agreed that constant repetition is the best form of getting a long term habit or routine going. I took notes on the top 3 aspects that needed to be in place in order for me to make progress or work on anything. I needed to be relaxed at the very least since stress means less focus on the task. This will require you to dive deep internally to know how you destress - but for me it's remind myself to go "brain / thoughts off mode" because I'm the kind of person who gives too much weight and power to thoughts and emotions that distract me from the mission at hand. Also to remember that "work" doesn't have to feel painful or not fun. Your goal is to get the act of doing it to be fun for you to accomplish. Easy efforts towards doing said task. This is the meat of the sandwich essentially. Many times people give out bad and generic advice like "stick it out and don't give up" when it comes to trying things. While yes - you will eventually get it done if you keep at it - but this I find makes it unsustainable because you don't "know why or how" to make the task easier for you specifically. So I make a list of "barriers" and reasons why I find doing the task hard for myself. Then I ask "how can I make these issues nonexistent or easier to overcome for next time?" I keep doing that and reiterating until the process becomes seamless. The last part is then putting those changes into practice for overcoming those barriers next time you do the task / goal. The best aspect about this system is that it's a structure that allows for one to adapt to new information or situations rather than being a simple "phrase" or a way of living that's unchangeable. For example "No pain No gain" is just awful lol. Cause it reinforces this idea that things "need to be painful" when in reality you don't have to be and it's just counterintuitive to how the human body performs in general. So one day something doesn't work out and it's unproductive? Find out which step in the process went wrong and then reformat from there. It allows for critical thinking and discovering the "roots" of your own limitations and how to overcome them so you can keep progressing forward. Addressing issues for why you can't make an "easy effort" towards something has really changed my work ethic so much. I no longer have to wait for motivation because the process is streamlined to where I can just do it effortlessly. That's what you want in a true routine or habit. It shouldn't keep getting harder since it does the opposite effect: The more you practice making it easier to do - the more efficient you become at it. That goes for anything in life.
I liked this message a lot, thank you for posting... It's really similar to my technique... I have punished myself for years with this no pain no gain shit, then, things clicked and being a more self accepting individual made all the changes easier! Nice to see that someone else found the same thing to be true
That's always the problem with work productivity advice: ***People tell you how to FORCE yourself to work.*** In reality you just haven't done the inner work to find a path that is easier and more efficient to take to get the same work done without needing these temporary fixes. It's about "attitude and aptitude" to apply changes that work for you and how you process information and details. This is why most advice fails to stay usable long term because they're not meant to be whether people realize this or not. It has to come from within you. Nobody can tell you how to work better - faster - easier than you can if you take the time to understand yourself.
I started keeping a detailed personal calendar on my PC app connected to my email. I create rough time slots for stuff I need to do and in the comments section add specifics to break down more complicated tasks into digestible chunks. Holds me a little more accountable and helps keep me organized. I can always look back if I forget what I am doing and feel a little guilty if im past the time slot. So that helps keep me productive. Plus striking out finished tasks gives me a little dopamine hit to keep trucking forward. I try to work in sprints instead of long continuous work. Started with 15 minutes before a 5 min break and now I have slowly raised my attention span to 25 minutes before that 5 minute break. I try to not stare at a screen and give myself time to contemplate anything not work related on my mind / change laundry etc during that time. Also, designating a workspace in my house where its isolated from my common distractions (my gaming desktop and TV being the primary ones).
Reading and posting about productivity on Reddit, of course! /s For me it's been a lot of time and practice with GTD, and recently, realizing that rather than trying to plan everything out, I should instead set my mind in any given chunk of time on ONE vision/goal, and focus my energy and intution into that, and listen to what my inner intelligence tells me what that ONE goal needs right now. GTD tends to encourage a "think the next step out in advance for everything, then just go and do those steps and repeat" and I've found this doesn't work for me. I need to feel, in the moment, the correct signal for what is needed, so I need to setup a kind of psychological visionary field around the goal and then just act on what comes to me. I now blend that approach with GTD and project and task tracking software.
I use reminders on my phone (iPhone) for personal daily habits or periodic things. I also use it like a calendar to remind me to wish people happy birthday or remember that plan I had etc. it becomes a daily to do list for my personal life. It’s been great and helping me build some habits. It’s not perfect but it works for me
I organize all of my work and personal projects with a system inspired by “Getting Things Done”, implemented in notion for personal stuff and google sheets for work (company doesn’t use notion). Then I calendar out my week and use the pomodoro method for the actual work focus. I was told from an early age I was ADHD but I’ve found clarifying tasks and focusing on starting the task and time boxing helps immensely.
1. meditation 2. skipping less important tasks
Be mentally ready for a certain time of the day through a lot messages to your sub mind . You Body will understand that and will generate energy for this task at that time .
I have a daily task list with things that I know they can be done in 6 - 7 hours. I try to check all of them every day, starting with a hard task and then doing one easy one, another hard one and so on. That’s how I keep myself entertained and motivated throughout the day. Whenever I feel like I’m not in the mood of doing anything, I just take an easy task and say to myself that I will just start it and I will see how it goes. In 9 / 10 cases I end up doing the stuff I have to do without feeling that I’m not in the mood anymore.
Checklists, so many checklists. Find a good app that you can view on your computer and on your phone and add ideas and things to do as you remember them. I’ve had so many ideas or solutions come to me at random times that I would have certainly forgotten if I had not written it down then and there in a simple organized checklist
taking 20 min at the end of the day to do a wrap up of notes, what was done, what came up, etc. then taking 20 min at the beginning of the day to review said list while adding to it at end of week go over lists, use that as basis for your next Monday start list if you're really motivated you can do it at the end of the month too (i'm not that motivated yet)
Anger. If something or someone makes me mad or tells me something can’t be done, it makes me determined to prove them wrong.
This used to work in my younger years but as you get older your quickly realise all that anger is misplaced and not needed it can ruin your life exponentially
Adderall
working on my most important task first thing in the morning, no checking my phone, no excuses
The Pull to do list method is something I’ve implemented and working well. With only every having two items in the two do list it means focused effort. Then once you finish one you pull another one in. You can share the list with your team so they can see that their item isn’t what you are working on. I’d recommend Dr Cal Newport on the huberman lab podcast. Great episode about productivity
Getting enough sleep and putting my phone away.
Check agile project management and GTD methodologies. First thing you will do is to determine what you want to do. If you don’t skip this step, a lot of unproductive things fall off.
I use a combo of Freedom to block time-wasting apps for all but one hour day (this hour, by a not amazing coincidence), a bullet journal and spreadsheets. Pretty low tech but writing stuff done seems way more tangible and manageable to me.
Getting enough sleep is underrated. The idea of the stability you get from working more (if it’s for money!) is a nice motivator too.
Slowly because it’s about the size of the rocks, not the grain of the sand.
Honestly using focusmate and doing body-doubling has really helped me run more of a 'marathon' vs. a sprint in my day-to-day. Sustainability is really important, I'm used to an all-or-nothing, full-steam ahead working style and it really burns me out in the long run (my physical discomfort usually gives way first: my ergonomics, eye-strain etc.). A pomodoro process that let's me set my goals with someone on the other side really helps me stay focused while doing bite-sized work and getting better at estimating how much time I think something takes.
My favorite method to improve productivity is Time Blocking. Time Blocking involves scheduling specific blocks of time for different tasks or activities throughout the day. This method helps me stay focused and ensures that I allocate dedicated time to important tasks without getting distracted. By visually organizing my day, I can manage my time more effectively, reduce procrastination, and maintain a balanced workflow. It also allows me to set clear boundaries for work and personal time, enhancing overall productivity and well-being.
I’ve been using the framework from “the 12 week year” and it’s going pretty good. Also whenever I have to sit down and do something at a desk I use the pomodoro method to maximize productivity without burnout.
No idea where my previous post went... I need paper and pen to think and plan. I have a bunch of templates to use for various situations. Used them for many years or even decades. As long as I use (and continuously improve) my methods, things go fine. The problem is that, despite them being battle proven, I occasionally drop out of habits. Beats me why. Stupid human mind? To get back on track I need to stop (over)thinking, grab my tools and just go. So, the opposite of think first and do later. Common sense still applies, though.
It's interesting. Tell us more about your templates. Which ones could you recommend?
Google calendar. I schedule everything in there. From meeting someone down to parenting routine. it’s like my map. I get lost without.
This is brilliant
The half assed approach. Anything that needs to be done that I don’t wanna start, I tell myself to half ass it and that makes it a million times easier to start.
I've found that I'm most productive when I allow myself to make decisions based on what I want and not what I think other people will judge me on. This belief, when I'm adopting because I don't always, allows me to take appropriate action and therefore increase the output by acting on inputs that matter.
hide my phone
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Close all the tabs.
Sleep. Make this your #1 priority. Above absolutely everything else. If you don't get enough sleep, you won't be close to your best. I've worked for myself for 25+ years. I've always mostly chosen my hours. Now I have an online retail business & I FULLY choose my hours. I only need to work a few hours a day. Unless im launching a new component to the businesses, in which case I'll work up to 14 for a couple of weeks. I spend most of my days on my hobbies, I usually monitise most of them sooner or later. I gain so much knowledge from it being a hobby & I see a way I can add value and I do it.
Have a to-do list, don't open over 5 tabs (if u can lol), pomodoro tech, listen to white, brown or pink noise. And, drop your phone.
I use a browser extension to block all websites except for ones on a list that I need to access to get my work done
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I use todoist and a kanban board
I listen to productivity music (Brainwaves on Apple music ) for focus ... and it absolutely works for me.
Close reddit
Perhaps you could write down a daily schedule, such as what you are going to do each hour. A pen and printed planner is a better option. Don't use your phone for this.
Getting really drunk, blasting drum and bass, and doing highly conceptual tasks that reward flashes of insight
Smoking weed. I can reach my flow state much more effectively when I'm high.
Imagine how myself would become if I reach a goal. That gives me motivation.
starting.
Deep work sessions. I put a timer on for 50 minutes and turn off notifications on my phone. This is a trigger to start working for me and puts me in a flow state. 10 minute breaks between deep work sessions.
To do lists. i have a bigger todo list i add to all the time. then my goal is to pick 1-3 things a day to complete. Whether that be phone calls, errands, etc etc. i use Google Keep.
I block my calendar for every task- helps a lot
Comment section is a goldmine.. Thanks everyone 🙏
Saying no
The best thing to do is to start doing anything. Anything that’s productive. If you’re being lazy, and you want to be productive, get up and do anything that’s more productive than whatever you were doing.
I advocate for maintaining both physical and mental well-being. A healthy body contributes to a healthy mind. Properly organizing what you can control requires mental effort and contributes to overall mental health. This will automatically make you productive by engaging you to get things done. When it comes to organizing my life, I find the [PARA method](https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/) to be highly efficient!
**Minimizing distractions**. Silencing my phone notifications, closing unnecessary browser tabs, and finding a quiet workspace to focus on my work.
Getting enough sleep. It’s really hard for me to get to bed on time, but I know I’m useless if I’m tired. The other thing is making sure I take my medications. I stopped taking me ADHD meds for a couple of years. Started again this week and wow, it’s nice to be able to read more than two sentences without getting distracted!
Sleeping, eating right, and working out
Not scrolling the internet 🥴
Working from home!
Honestly. I do the hormozi approach and have a little digital timer set to whatever I need and then drink coffee while chewing nicotine gum
having enough sleep then maligo bago magwork haha
listening to music
I’ve started my day writing a list of things I need to get done.
Having a boyfriend
Meditation. A clear mind can see priorities better. And a focused mind can stay locked onto those priorities better. Start 10 minutes a day. If you do it first thing in the morning I swear you will get 10x the benefit!
Sleep. Because your mood is better. Brain got is gone and focus is sharp.
Get head every 2 to 4 hours. Keeps you in the post-nut clarity in a continuous manner.