For years, I had a system. Or at least I thought I did. I called it “my impenetrable wall.” Sometime during college, I had figured out a way to get work done against a deadline, no matter what. I could get anything done if I gave myself a weekend, or a couple days, to devote
Don’t be afraid to change your approach Read More »
Productivity nerds around the globe can agree on one thing: we can’t get enough of daily routines. We love watching other peoples’ routines, and we love designing and refining our own— even if it means procrastinating on our current tasks to think about tomorrow. It’s a healthy impulse. There’s enough conventional wisdom and scholarship out
Get obsessed with your daily routine Read More »
Almost every day I try to do the same thing with my work. And if I’m working on my computer, I do it with RescueTime. I write articles and copy for various publications, edit videos and short films, and do various administrative and spreadsheet-adjacent productivity work in intervals. And there’s email. Lots of email. With
A Day In The Life with RescueTime Read More »
The concept of the flow state is one of the more important and elusive abstractions in productivity. Those who have experienced “getting into the flow” describe a beautiful combination of heightened focus and increased ability to handle complicated or creative work—outside sounds and distractions melt away and all that’s left is a calm and joyous
Stay in the flow by any means necessary Read More »
I was on a roll two weeks ago. I had managed, somehow, to find a prolonged and sustained flow. My work felt easier and more free than it usually did, and I hadn’t avoided sitting down in my chair to begin in a while. But I’ve been in the zone like that before. And while
A beautiful life is all about maintenance Read More »
There’s something I need to come clean about. I feel like I’ve been living a lie. As someone who literally writes a bi-monthly column about getting things done, you’d think I would have all of my own productivity systems perfectly designed and executed. I would be flattered if you pictured me as a productivity guru,
Find the perfect to-do list app for you Read More »
The idea of a “fresh start”—wiping your slate clean, tidying up your workspace, and resetting your mind—has been discussed on this blog before. We’ve talked about the concept’s numerous benefits, and we’ve also talked about the ways in which it might be actually overrated. After all, your desk and inbox are probably clean enough to
The overwhelming power of Sunday Read More »
How often do you walk around your house or sit in your office and think to yourself, “if only this mess was cleaned up, my mind would be clear and I’d be able to be productive”? This is the barrier you’re facing, you tell yourself. “If I had a clean desk, work would be so
The paralysis of a clean house Read More »
I’ve had too much on my plate lately. Maybe you know the feeling. It’s my own fault, of course. It’s easy to take on more work. After all, you wanna do your best—push yourself—and the simplest way of pushing yourself to do more is agreeing to do something. Or even more effective—telling someone else you’ll
Monotask to chip away at your to-do list Read More »
Studying is hard for everyone. Working effectively and productively, without getting distracted or bored or discouraged, can be nearly impossible—for everyone. Even if you have no diagnosed or confirmed issues with focus or attention, staying on task can be a struggle. But imagine that you found it so difficult to focus that you brought it
Taking focus tips from the ADHD / ADD community Read More »
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