If you have done any sort of research online on productivity, you know that there here are so many tips, tricks, tools and books that it can make your head spin. Personally I find most of the information on the topic to be overwhelming. I believe in keeping things very simple – apply one tip at a time, find a few things that work for you and stick to them.
Below are 2 productivity techniques that I have found to be most beneficial for me over the years. I hope they will be useful to you as well.
1) Time Blocking
Time blocking is my absolute favorite productivity technique. It is essentially dividing your calendar into “blocks” of time (for example, in 30-minute increments) and dedicating those blocks to accomplishing your to-do list items.
To-do lists alone tend to be very optimistic – you just assume that you will be able to do these 10 / 20 / x number of items today. But what about time? What if each item takes a long time to complete?
You solve this problem by assigning tasks and giving them actual blocks of time in your calendar.
This gives you a realistic and clear schedule to follow. You know exactly what you will work on, when and for approximately how long. You are no longer randomly working from a simple to-do list. You can plan your days and weeks in advanced. Obviously things will come up that may alter your plans, so you just make small readjustments as needed. The most important thing is having a general plan, a sort of “template” of your day that you can follow.
2) Pomodoro Technique
If you have trouble with getting distracted when you work, the pomodoro technique is something to consider. What you do is set a timer for 25 minutes and work on your task. After that you take a 5-minute break – stand up, stretch, drink a glass of water, or just do nothing. Then you simply repeat this process. Over and over again. You just keep working in these 25/5 work-rest cycles. That’s all there is to it.
It sounds very simple, but believe me – it works like magic. Work becomes very stress-free and focused. You just say to yourself “Okay, I will try working on this and after 25 minutes I can have a break” versus looking at a task and panicking, thinking that you will now need to sit for many hours to do it. Psychologically, it helps you get started and keeps you going. You can combine this with time blocking as well.
Also, I have found that taking those deliberate 5-minute breaks really helps you to recharge and keeps you in the flow-state for longer. So don’t skip them.