Simpleology Blog

I'd like to share two quotes that I believe are important to keeping someone productive.

Ready? Good, here goes...

"Out of sight, out of mind is a productivity killer!"

and ...

Writer G. K. Chesterton said, "More often than not people need to be reminded, more than they need to be instructed."

With these quotes in mind, let me then share a few things that can keep you productive:

1. Keep your priorities straight. Write down the most important things and do them first! Remember that not every task that comes our way is created equal. While everything in its own way may be important--some tasks when completed give you a greater sense of accomplishment or reward.

Tip: Develop the habit of identifying tasks that if completed so that they're the first to get your attention each day.

2. Use lists. I'm a big proponent of keeping lists because they help remind you about what needs to be done. Keep these things in mind when you come up with your to-do list: include your most important items first, leave room for unexpected things, add time frames for when you will do something, and don't schedule things back to back with little or no time between them. Then, when you finish a task, mark it complete so that you'll get a sense of accomplishment to give you the boost you need to go through the other items on your list.

Tip: Don't panic if you don't accomplish every item on your list. Instead, at the end of the day, just place the items left behind on your to-do list for the next day.

3. Get a calendar. A calendar offers an easy "at a glance" view of upcoming events, whether they are today or in the near future. You can use a traditional paper calendar--such as a day planner that's small enough to carry with you. Or, if you prefer, you can opt for a desk calendar. I personally use a desk calendar as a "real world" backup, because my primary calendar solution is the Web-based Google Calendar. There is no shortage of software programs or other web based solutions to choose from.

Tip: With the Google Calendar, you will be able to create unique calendars within a larger calendar. You can have specialized "sub-calendars." For example, you can create one for personal use and one for work purposes. As you add new tasks you assign the particular "sub-calendar" to the task. One advantage to this is that while everything can be grouped on your calendar view, you can also easily view tasks by each calendar group. With a Web-based calendar, you could also have alerts sent to either your cell phone as a text message, or sent as an email to remind you of the events on your calendar.

4. Adopt a "Do it now!" attitude. Even the most well-laid plans get derailed when we don't get moving. It's not always because we don't want to do the tasks. At times, they just don't get done because other things come up and overwhelm us. The funny thing is when we simply do the thing we're neglecting, we find that it rarely takes anywhere near the time to do it that we may have originally thought it would. In any instances, we waste more time when we put off a task in order to wait for a more convenient time to do it. Isn't that ironic?

Tip: Keep in mind that becoming more productive is simply about doing what you know needs to be done as soon as possible, as well as using a few handy solutions and tools which will help you in your efforts.

For starters, these moves should help you get things done right through a more streamlined process that will give you more time to develop groundbreaking ideas. When that happens, then there's no doubt that you're on your way to the peak of your productivity.

Credits: Photo by Anna Cercova, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The blogger is a speaker, author, and entrepreneur. He focuses on topics related to motivation and human potential. You can visit him at Motivation Point.

Suggested Resource: You may also keep track of your tasks via the Daily Time Praxis, a productivity tool that's the core of Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want.