Taking a look at the tools and processes different people actually use in their day to day lives. By asking 5 basic questions, we get a glimpse into the way a variety of individuals use their systems and see what works and what doesn’t. In this episode, editor of lifehack.org, Dustin Wax. The Trial by Fire Five: Describe your current productivity process – the one you use day-to-day to stay on track and get your stuff done. What have you tried in the past that just didn’t work for you? How has... More »
Taking a look at the tools and processes different people actually use in their day to day lives. By asking 5 basic questions, we get a glimpse into the way a variety of individuals use their systems and see what works and what doesn’t. In this episode, founder and editor of lifehack.org, Leon Ho. The Trial by Fire Five: Describe your current productivity process – the one you use day-to-day to stay on track and get your stuff done. What have you tried in the past that just didn’t work for you?... More »
We spend a lot of time researching, trying, and reading about methods, processes, tools, and techniques to make us more productive and efficient. The problem is that many of these tools and processes work well in theory, but don’t integrate well into our real-world workflow. I began to wonder what other people use in their own systems. Not what they liked, thought was cool, or blogged about, but actually used. Day-in, day-out, what was their real trial by fire tools and processes. So this podcast is going to be a regular series... More »
This post is part of the Trial By Fire Productivity series. “True stability results when presumed order and presumed disorder are balanced. A truly stable system expects the unexpected, is prepared to be disrupted, waits to be transformed.” ~ Tom Robbins This wasn’t the entry I expected to post this week. Last week the death rattle of my hard drive whirred loudly, and the drive crashed. It happens. I suppose it could have been much worse. But it taught me a few things – first being that any productivity system must have... More »
This post is part of the Trial By Fire Productivity series. I plan in my head. Back when I was getting started as a freelance designer, I waited tables to help pay the bills. I was one of those waiters that kept orders in his head. I never wrote them down, and very rarely made a mistake. It was when I tried to write things down that I got slowed down, and screwed orders up. Instead, I’d take the order, absorbing every detail, and then go dump it into the system. That... More »
This post is part of the Trial By Fire Productivity series. The first thing that came apparent was the need to define my time. I had to do this in a way that was both flexible and clear. The only productivity/time management tools I kept are Google Calendar, my Miquelrius spiral grid notebook, and Thunderbird for email. So the first thing was to establish a process and pick some tools to track it. After some consideration, I chose John Richardson’s The Focused 50 for its clearly defined boundaries. Since a bulk of... More »
Launching a new project is extremely time-consuming. It’s at these times I begin to learn how effective my productivity process and tools really are. Since creating a 36-hour day is out of the question, the next best thing is making the hours you have more productive. Enter tools and processes. The thing is, you can never know how well they’re going to work under real stress, until you’re in the middle of a firestorm. So I decided to run an experiment. Not in a controlled environment, but in a real-world situation –... More »
23 Shares Many times we keep doing things that aren’t working any more. As creatures of routine, we take a process, belief, or plan and continue to follow it long after it’s served its purpose. It becomes a habit – one that may not fit us very well. Sometimes it’s out of commitment. Other times laziness or indifference. When taking in new productivity plans, or changing our beliefs, its important to be able to see what’s working, what’s not, and to refine or tweak habits until they fit our lives. Evaluating our processes, routines,... More »
“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” ~ Wayne Gretzky Think about this… If you could predict the future, your productivity would skyrocket. The biggest hurdles to productivity are interruptions, distractions, and unknowns. No matter how many tools you use, lists you keep, methods you follow – life will come along and screw everything up with reality. How many times have you thought to yourself “that looks great on paper?” Over-planning can often be worse than under-planning, and... More »
When was the last time you had a good conversation with yourself? I mean a full-on, I’m a crazy person, talking out loud, discussion with yourself? You actually talk to yourself all the time. Most of it is subconscious, and a lot of it is negative and cautionary. But what about taking the time to really ask yourself some serious questions? The Interview It’s our very nature to think of ourselves first. Often, we do for others, but it’s important to look out for our own dreams and goals. Good interviewers ask... More »
“Always remember that you are at least 50% smarter than computers. Computers know ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ but we know ‘maybe.’” – John Pironti When it comes to where you direct your energy, it involves just three simple answers – yes, no, or maybe. Think about it. Every decision you make – voluntary or otherwise, involves a “yes,” a “no,” or a “maybe.” Okay, common sense, right? But are you considering those answers before you make a decision? A lot of people say “yes” to something without really thinking it through. The same... More »
It’s winter time here in the U.S. Parts of the country are covered with snow and ice, and getting going in the morning can be tough. Part of the morning ritual of a lot of folks during the winter is warming up the car. It may be covered with ice, or just plain cold, and it needs some time to get ready to go. Often this takes patience, especially when you’re in a hurry and running late. But it’s important and can improve the performance and life of your car. So here’s... More »
When it comes to thinking about projects – do you spend more time building them up in your mind or breaking them down? When you put up a rig for a show – props, a speaker rack, or a large projection screen for example – thinking ahead about the strike can impact how you put it up. If you’re spending a lot of energy building up a project in you mind, it might be better to think about breaking it down. Projects on our to-do lists tend to stay in the forefront... More »
Back in November, I posted an Excel spreadsheet that I sometimes use for making simple decisions. Though pretty basic, it always worked well for me. Well, Lucy over at lucylou.info took the idea and expanded on it, making a pretty cool workbook that she calls, the Ultimate Pros and Cons Excel Workbook: But what if you want something with a few more features? I’m actually trying to make a pretty important decision (what course I should take over the summer), which requires that I compare the pros and cons of TWO options... More »
45 Shares A lot has been written about the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Evidence suggests that sleeping on a problem can help generate new insight into a solution. I discovered a trick about 12 years ago that has served me well – and I’ve recommended it many times, to clients, friends, and family. I can’t remember where I first learned about it, but it’s one of my favorite techniques for using the power of sleep to work out problems. And all you need are a pen, paper, and a glass of water.... More »
