Let's get productive

Today is Monday, happy week to you!

Mondays are my days to get organized and productive.

Fridays are the days I plan the following week. Then I try and shut down for the weekend but sometimes I do work on a Saturday. I even gave a presentation yesterday on mentoring, but that was an exception.

This Friday/Monday rhythm of planning and preparation helps me to be more intentional with my tasks and not let my tasks manage me.

How do you stay productive, not doing something that is on the list, but getting really important tasks done – without burning yourself out?

Do you procrastinate? I ususually don’t, unless there is emptional baggage surrounding a task. (We could talk about your procrastination, if it is stopping you from moving forward).

Otherwise, here is something to do when you are planning or you are moving from one task to another to clear your thinking in 2 steps:

Step 1: Get an overview of the situation.

It is good to get an overview of your work (day/week) first: What's actually on your agenda? And make a note of all the private and professional tasks that have been left undone. I use paper AND electronic, depending on the tasks. Paper for personal and electronic for work.  Use what works best for you.

Step 2: Organize everything into categories

Try to make two categories (“easy” and “project”):

Individual tasks that consist of one step (“easy”): Those go directly on the to-do list.

Tasks/projects that consist of at least two steps (“project”) go on an awaiting action/open list. This could be, for example, writing a presentation. This includes several to-dos for one item: make a plan, get materials, clean up, write, etc.

This approach has the advantage of clearing your head for what is next on your to-do list. Nothing bothers your productivity and you have gained an overview of upcoming projects and to-dos. That's reassuring. If you now think of something new, you can simply add to the list.

Think about it: How often does it stress you out to have a lot on your mind? What would change if things were written down well?

I try to schedule an hour of time and list all the tasks and projects I have to do, maybe you should, too.

Finally, here is a list of some of the best productivity tools:
Pomodoro Technique
- Work in 25-min bursts, then take a 5-min break.
- Repeat 4 times, then take a longer break.

I use a stopwatch on your phone or other device.
Oliver Burkeman's 3/3/3 Method
Do these 3 things daily:
- 3 hours of deep work
- 3 shorter urgent tasks or meetings
- 3 maintenance activities to keep up with
Eisenhower Matrix (my favorite)
Sort tasks into 4 boxes:
- Important/urgent - Do it now
- Important/not urgent - Schedule it
- Not important/urgent - Delegate it
- Not important/not urgent - Ignore it
Eat the Frog (my friend Brian’s favorite)
- Do the hardest task first.
- The rest of your day will be easier.
Seinfeld Strategy – must be donew with  something you CARE about (e.g. exercise)
- Don't break the chain (of makingthis into a habit, my friend set a meditation goal, for example).
- Work toward a goal daily to build a habit.
Time Blocking
- Divide your day into specific blocks for tasks.
- Schedule them and stick to it.

For more ideas and help with motivation and productivity, just give me a shout.

Otherwise, enjoy a very productive week!

Patricia Jehle                patricia@jehle-coaching.com               www.jehle-coaching.com