Strawburry Miwk

If you google anything along the lines of “productivity tools,” “how to stop procrastinating,” “improving workflow” or the like, you are bound to get thousands of results. The fact that such content exists (not to mention the fact that you might find yourself searching for it time to time) is evidence enough that, despite how wonderful technology is in helping us get things done, this same technology can be distracting or even cause basic tasks to take longer than usual. Even President Obama noted the distracting qualities of Information Technology, suggesting that our incline in innovation is more of a downfall of diversion. Perhaps the most ironic thing is, if you do one of the aforementioned google searches in an attempt to improve your work ethic, you might find yourself procrastinating even longer just sorting through it all!

The question remains, then, and put simply…how do you TCB? This is a question that I hope to cover in a series of blog entries (how to sort through Twitter overload, how to keep up with new IT, etc. etc.). For now, let me shed what light I can on the often not-so-simple task of getting things done.

While browsing the Internet to see how others have handled this subject, I’ve found that everyone concludes the following to be true:

1. Everyone has their own means of organizing what they need to do and how they get those things done.
2. How you organize your to-do lists largely depends on what you need to do (i.e. what your profession is).
3. A means of getting things done and organizing your tasks only works if you actually use said method and if you actually get your work done.
   • As a sub-note to this, I’ll add that one blog I found even added: “Most methods work extremely well for about two weeks then trail off.” In other words, find what works for you, even if that means finding a new method every few weeks.

Given those universals, I’ll describe what works for me. We’re all different and work differently, but you may find some things below that work for you.

Environment

Environment undeniably plays a huge role in getting work done. Numerous studies have been done on the effects of lighting, personal space, wall color, music, mid-day naps and more on productivity. When you hear “work environment,” people automatically picture what an office and one’s co-workers may look like, but consider your digital environment, too.

• Wallpapers: Most people set pictures of their children, pets or beautiful landscapes as their desktop wallpapers. Consider setting up wallpapers that yell at you!
  • “A Little Motivation” by Spargett is a desktop wallpaper with a metallic grid background with the words, “DO YOUR WORK. DON’T BE STUPID.” It’s true that getting work done usually involves having programs up that cover your desktop, but perhaps when switching from Illustrator to your web browser to check on your Facebook friends, you might get a glance at this not-so-friendly reminder and DO YOUR WORK instead!
  • GTD: Get Things Done is another wallpaper with an actual work-flow chart attached. You may be thinking, how can someone else’s work-flow chart help me if we may not even be in the same business? This work-flow chart simply forces you to ask yourself what sort of work you have at hand, if it can be delegated to others, if you can do it now in a reasonable amount of time, or if you can put it off for later. It’s bright, colorful, and incredibly simple. If you can get your work done, do it! I have a dual-monitor set up, and I currently have this wallpaper on my second monitor that usually has fewer windows open on it. Clever, huh?
• Sights and Sounds: Background noise can come from your computer, your television, your co-workers, the outdoors, or even your office supplies. Having some helpful ‘white noise’ can keep your mind from drifting. I personally like listening to Internet radio or having the news on TV.
  • Music: Music may or may not be allowed in your workplace, but if it is, consider listening to the radio over your personal tunes. Why? You love your personal music. You know the lyrics, you know the rhythm, and if your favorite song (which is every song on your iPod, right?) comes on, you’re likely to mentally tap out for a bit and enjoy it. Now, I’m not saying don’t listen to music you like; I’m just suggesting that you should listen to music you’re not completely familiar with. For this, I highly recommend Internet radio. Most digital media players, including iTunes, have a means of browsing online radio stations that play everything from mainstream to classical to underground. I personally am a fan of EBM-radio.com and any of the numerous Euro Dance stations; These offer a steady stream of music with a steady, upbeat rhythm. If you do listen to Internet radio, be sure to have two to three stations bookmarked, as they are occasionally interrupted by ads and you may want to channel surf.
  • Television: When I worked at my student paper in college, we had several televisions around the office streaming different tv stations. Most were news (of course), and one or two would have on whatever trending comedy or reality show was on at the time. I’ve found that having the news on helps me get my work done by keeping me from feeling isolated, or like I run the risk of becoming separated from others and what’s important by being too involved in my current task. In addition to keeping me in the loop, having the news on also reminds me that there are other people and businesses out there that I am currently competing with…better get back to work!

Tools of the Trade…of Task-keeping

Once you have as an ideal environment as possible set up, having some time-management and productivity-monitoring tools at your disposal can help you visualize and track your progress as well as motivate you (sometime through force!) to get things done.

• Devices: There are a handful of digital devices I’ve found useful for getting work done. Some are Mac-only, but I’m confident PC versions or similarity exist.
  • StayFocusd is a google Chrome extension that can block one, several or all web sites for an amount of time you specify. I used it fairly recently when working on a design; Just knowing that web access is blocked is enough to keep your eyes and mind glued to what you should be doing.
  • Apimac Timer is a very simple digital alarm clock for Mac. If you browse Apple Productivity Tools you will likely find this and others like it. I personally have used it to bark at me (literally! You can upload whatever sound bytes you want!) every 15 minutes when working on projects for clients. This helped me keep accurate records of what specific work I was doing (concept, design, final touches, etc.), at what time, and for how long. You can use alarms like these to remind you every several minutes to get your work done, or to alert you to a specific time when something needs to get done.
  • Incredible Start Page is something I’ve added to Chrome, although I haven’t found as much use for it yet as I’ve liked. The closed tabs history record and the mini-notepad are both excellent tools for browsing the web and reminding yourself of things you need to get done.
• Ye Olde Pen & Paper: Let’s face it; Nothing beats pen and paper. Sticky notes, notepads, daily planners, the backs of receipts, whenever you need to jot something down to remember or do, you know you’ve used these. For all the glamour and efficiency digital tools like the above offer, I think the physical act of inscribing words and ideas on paper (as our ancestors have for thousands of years) resonates with us much more strongly than typing words on a screen or having sounds and blinking lights stimulate us. That said, simply writing something often isn’t enough; You must have some order in place.
  • Font.is’s Circle List system is so simple and useful it’s brilliant. Simply put: You draw an empty circle next to each item on your to-do list, and draw in appropriate marks to signify your progress. A dash means the project has begun, a half circle means you are half done, a full circle means you are done, and a crossed-out circle means the project is cancelled or no longer in your hands. I’ve started using this system with my own task lists fairly recently with great results. Visualizing your progress through several tasks is a great way to see the larger picture of what needs to get done and how far along you are in your work.
  • Mirror Notes: Not an application or a system, just the simple idea of putting sticky-notes on your mirror. If there is something you are likely to forget or deliberately put off as an unappealing task, consider having it on your mirror. When you comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your hands, you cannot ignore the note right in front of you. Other ideal spots I’ve used include: Above your door handle, on your microwave, on your steering wheel, inside your shoes, on the coffee mug, etc. Don’t let yourself escape from your work until it is done! Besides, nothing is more satisfying than taking down that sticky note, crumpling it up and tossing it in the recycling bin once you’re done!

Mentality

Environment and tools aside, sometimes just having the proper mindset is all it takes to get your work done. One thing I have found always helps is at least getting two things done for yourself every single day. One business professional I follow on Facebook, Mike Klinger, suggests this in the form of exercise and dieting. He suggests that if you keep up with at least one bit of exercise and eating at least one healthy meal every single day, not only will that biologically make you feel better and more productive, but mentally you can carry some pride that you have done something positive for yourself each day, and that doing so will lend to doing positive things for others and/or your business as well.

Finally, as a fond collector of quotes, sometimes just having the right words of motivation in front of you is a big help. The day I graduated from college, I went to my favorite local Chinese place for a bite to eat to celebrate. In my fortune cookie, I was given a fortune that I found to be so prophetic, I taped it to the track pad of my otherwise spotless lap top:

"Your life will be prosperous if you use your creativity." Key word: USE.

That mostly wraps up a few of the tools and techniques I use to stay productive, although there are many more out there and I’m sure I will continue to try out new devices for productivity as time goes on. So tell me; What do you do to stay productive? Have you found any of the tools and techniques above to be helpful? Let me know in the comments below!