Most of these productivity tips are based on sound psychological science and will help you be more productive and get more writing done.
My suggestion: look through the list and pick 2-3 tips that you know will make a significant difference in your productivity and apply them right now.
My Top Three…
4. Clean your desk
I tend to have items from multiple projects and tasks on my desk. This distracts me because every time I see something on my desk that isn’t related to my current focus, my brain at least temporarily thinks about it. This wastes both time and mental energy.
22. Quit Facebook (partially)
Facebook can be a great way to keep up with the family and friends, but it can also be a major time suck. I occasionally let myself go to Facebook when I’m stuck in my work. This never ends well.
30. Write tomorrow’s to-do list tonight
I actually do very well with organizing and prioritizing tasks, but I need to put more focus on creating a daily habit of identifying my top three priorities for the next day.
(Infographic brought to you by Wrike)
Your Take
Which tips are most important for you? Why?
Lot’s of good tips in the infographic. I already do some of those things (including “Eat Chocolate). But if I set the thermostat to 70-77 during the heating season I’d get drowsy. I guess I’m one of those people who feel more energetic when there’s a little chill in the air.
One I found particularly interesting was the lemons & lavender one. But nice, fresh, clean scents are always more soothing than stale air.
Paula, I also disagreed with the thermostat recommendation. I do upper 60’s. Cooler is better.
And I’m also not a fan of scents.
What about the scents of the mountain trails??
Going hiking definitely clears my head and makes me a more productive writer when I get back to the computer.
Great list, John. I am dealing with #4 right now. Periodically, I hit a point where I have to stop and organize. I love how much better it feels after I’ve done it. I also choose 3 tasks each day to focus on and I write them down. Keeps me focused and not so overwhelmed, especially during weeks where there’s a lot on my plate.
Good for you, Cathy. You’re one of the most organized and productive writers I know!
I do much of this… I’ve never gotten it together to do a list in the evening… I feel so foggy it seems pointless and my willingness drops to zero. Currently I mediate, do something important to me when I sit down at the computer – on a day like today I don’t even have to check my calendar since Monday is almost always free for me… and I do double check.
After that important thing is done or well started I begin the rest of it.
I’m also mentally quite shot in the evening. I make my to-do list for the next day at the end of my work day.
Great infographic! I’m surprised by how many of these I’m already doing. Of course there’s always room for improvement.
The one I disagree with is Unrollme. I used to use it but then I discovered how much of your information they’re selling so I cancelled my account and just dealt with the newsletters which was far better than having them all in one giant email that I ignored anyway.
I think almost all of these suggestions are excellent, but there’s a couple I disagree with (thermostat at 70-77 degrees), or just don’t know about (like Unrollme).
Hi John,
You made mention of quitting Facebook as one of your top 3 productivity tips. I will suggest you add ‘Whatsapp and snapchat’ to it. More than 85% of the young population focusses much more on the use of this social media tools.
I had to disciplined myself when I discovered that I use to spend much more time chatting on whatsapp. Though it is not easy, but it gave me a lot of breathing space and ability to concentrate.
Thanks for sharing
Kunle, you’re right: other social media sites can also waste a lot of time. For example, a couple of years ago I decided to spend much less time on Twitter.
Hi John,
This is a great infographic. However, I may disagree with number 17. I find myself looking at instagram pictures of Huskies and Nature all the time, while I could be doing a lot of work during that time. Maybe that works for someone who isn’t a big fan of nature, but loves to get inspired. While for me, I’m in love with those pictures. And if there is a video of a Husky playing around, I’m watching it a couple of times, maybe five times. So, again, that’s my weakness and it won’t help my productivity at all.
Thanks again for sharing these tips. Loved checking them all!
John, I agree with you on all of your favorites. A messy desk is akin to a messy head — it’s a pile of stuff staring at you saying “Deal with me!”
My to-do list is one that I put on Outlook Calendar. I add to it, move it forward to the next day every afternoon, and I use it at the end of the month to remind me who owes me for what.
I use #5 and #7 regularly.
I actually have my to-do list on a Word document. I delete items when they’re done, and I move to the next day when I have to.