Month: March 2016

It’s About Time

It’s About Time

Being productive starts with good time management. Most of us use some sort of calendar to manage our time. We are good about marking down appointments, scheduling meetings and noting deadlines. But, what happens in between those scheduled time slots is our biggest missed opportunity.

For years, I have used a methodology I call “time blocking” or more fondly my own version of “productivity Tetris.” So, here’s how you play.

At the start of the week pick a set time to start the game. First, review your calendar for the week ahead to make sure all of our appointments and meetings have been entered and are up-to-date. Next, make note of the things you must get done that week and start slotting them into the open spaces on your calendar making sure you schedule them ahead of any deadlines.  At the end or beginning of each day, review and confirm your schedule and then pick the Top Three things you need to get done and slot them in between your scheduled items.

Be sure to go ahead and block times to handle recurring tasks such as submitting your timesheet at the end of the week or your expense report at the end of the month, paying your bills weekly, or taking a walk or doing yoga several times a week. By blocking these time slots you’ll have set aside the necessary time to make sure these things get done on time and you don’t forget about them or find yourself rushing to get them done at the last minute.

Once your day is fully time blocked then you simply work through it according to the plan. Always allow for more time to complete a task than you think is necessary. If you finish the task sooner then you can reward yourself with a break – a snack, social media surfing or a quick chat with a friend.

If, and when, something comes up that disrupts your day, then it’s time to play “Tetris” and rearrange your time blocks.  First, determine how to make time for the disruption and then move around the other time blocks. By doing this, you’ll still be sure to have dedicated time for the things you wanted to get done.

If your calendar supports it, try color coding your time blocks so you can visually see how you’re spending your time and to make it easier to identify which blocks can be moved around.

The Productivity Triangle

The Productivity Triangle

Over the years, many have used a triangle metaphor to make sense of concepts including the , the Project Management Triangle (cost, time, resources), the Exposure Triangle (ISO, shutter speed, aperture) or the Drama Triangle (hero, victim, villain). I created my own Productivity Triangle to demonstrate that in order to become more efficient and productive, we need simply need to manage our time, tasks and things.

Screen Shot 2016-03-20 at 4.02.30 PM

TIME

Most of us use some sort of calendar to manage their time and while we are really good at scheduling meetings and appointments with others, we don’t manage the windows in between those meetings as well. At the end of the day or at the start of your day, take a few minutes to time block your entire day with the tasks you need to get done in between your meetings. By doing this, you have a set game plan for the day that you just need to follow. In addition to making sure you get the most important things done, this method also help you reduce or eliminate distractions.  (NOTE:  Beware of the Bermuda Triangle of Productivity.)

TASKS

For the most part, we know what tasks need to get done but we don’t use a centralized to-do list.  We just wing it and try to get tasks done just in time. As a result, sometimes things fall through the cracks or become a crisis. Try using one central list to keep track of all of your tasks. This makes it easy to remember your tasks, review and prioritize them and then focus on finding time to complete them. Also, don’t try to do everything at once.  Pick your top three tasks and get those done before tackling others. I just launched a new task management app called priorigami: the art of productivity to help with this. Try it out!

THINGS

Last but not least, we need to manage all our stuff. It’s amazing how much time and hassle we can save if we simply find a place for everything. Designate a set place for your keys and put them there as you enter your house. You’ll never have to look for your keys again. If there’s a pile of stuff on your desk, most likely it’s because there isn’t a specific place for some of those things to belong. Create those spaces and you’ll have less clutter and spend less time looking for things.

In future posts, we’ll dig deeper into each of these three dimensions.

Not Just Another To-Do List App

Not Just Another To-Do List App

About six months ago, I decided I wanted to figure out how to help people be more productive so they could spend less time feeling overwhelmed and more time on the things they enjoy. And so, I set out to create the “FitBit” for productivity.

I read as many books and blogs on productivity best practices, tried countless apps and tools, conducted surveys and ethnography studies and found that we don’t just need another to-do list app. Most of us know how to create to-do lists and in fact, most of us have many, many lists. There are a million ways to create lists including a good, old-fashioned pen and a piece of paper. Creating lists is not the problem.

We struggle with what to do once we have a list.  As our lives have become more hectic, demanding and complex, it’s hard to prioritize tasks, avoid distractions and stay focused on completing tasks.  This is what I want to try to help solve.

With fitness, we know we should walk 10,000 steps in a day and limit our caloric intake to less than 2,000 calories a day.  But, this is much easier said than done.  Until FitBit came along and turned these goals into a daily challenge that became fun and rewarding.

To that end, I am proud and excited to introduce you to priorigami: the art of productivity.

priorigami.png

This is not just another to-do list app.  This app is designed to help you manage, prioritize and complete tasks more efficiently so you can spend more time doing the things that really matter to you.

It’s simple:  enter your tasks and we’ll remind you to select your Daily Top Three.  We’ll remind you to Shuffle and prioritize your tasks to make sure you’re focusing on the most important ones.  We will also encourage you to get things done and track your progress along the way.

For now, this is just a bare bones MVP available for iOS devices through the App Store.  But it is a good starting point.  And, it’s completely FREE for you to use.

You no longer need to feel overwhelmed by your list of tasks or deflated by having too much to do. Start feeling good about getting things done. Download it now and immediately enjoy the benefits of priorigami.