All things productivity and time management (1 Viewer)

[ragincajun]

As I sit here playing chess against Shuke I ponder what life would be like with better time management skills. You see my mind is like a game of tether ball, back and forth around the pole until it unwinds and starts again. My mind bounces all over. One distraction and whatever I was working on is over. So I turn to the FFA to see if we can pool our collective minds and brainstorm on productivity, time management, delegation, etc..... Home and work.

My day is very random. Same hours more or less but the day to day meetings, action items, projects vary. Trying to put some resemblance of a schedule together is near impossible. My employees come in my office all day long asking questions so there are interruptions there, etc, etc...

So far I have tried the bullet journal and the Pomodoro method. Both would be ideal if I could stick with them for any duration. I also listened to a podcast that recommended you only check email 3 times a day.

For those keeping score at home:

Pomodoro

Bullet Journal

4 Hour Workweek

Email only 3 times a day

Any thoughts, help, blogs, ideas? I am more of an analog guy but am open to one note, outlook, excel, Evernote, etc......

 

[Christo]

tl;dr

 

[ragincajun]

Neither did I.

 

[Mister CIA]

As I sit here playing chess against Shuke I ponder what life would be like with better time management skills. You see my mind is like a game of tether ball, back and forth around the pole until it unwinds and starts again. My mind bounces all over. One distraction and whatever I was working on is over. So I turn to the FFA to see if we can pool our collective minds and brainstorm on productivity, time management, delegation, etc..... Home and work.

My day is very random. Same hours more or less but the day to day meetings, action items, projects vary. Trying to put some resemblance of a schedule together is near impossible. My employees come in my office all day long asking questions so there are interruptions there, etc, etc...

So far I have tried the bullet journal and the Pomodoro method. Both would be ideal if I could stick with them for any duration. I also listened to a podcast that recommended you only check email 3 times a day.

For those keeping score at home:

Pomodoro

Bullet Journal

4 Hour Workweek

Email only 3 times a day

Any thoughts, help, blogs, ideas? I am more of an analog guy but am open to one note, outlook, excel, Evernote, etc......

For me, nothing comes close to 3x5 notecards. Dump my brain onto one before bedtime and hit the ground running in the morning.

Outlook is the best software tool imo (nothing else comes close to Tasks), but it does not lend itself to work lifestyles where priorities are constantly changing and interruptions are part and parcel to the job.

 

[Hastur]

What may work for me(or someone else) may not work for you. There are two things you should find out first: What is your VAK(Visual, Auditory, Kinithetic) preferred method of receiving information, and which of the 7 intelligence are your dominate ones?

Tons of sites out there concerning these two things. Free diagnostic tools, etc.

After determining these two things, read the following two books: Getting Things Done by David Allen and Time Management by Brian Tracy.

Set up a system, and stick to it!

 

[shuke]

I've been doing something similar to the bullet journal method for 20 years. I still use a 2 day per-week day timer for tasks, as I like to be able to see the entire week at once, and I use outlook calendar for meetings/events. If you get too easily distracted, try blocking out small periods of time on your calendar for particular tasks, and turn your email off during that time.

 

[ragincajun]

Gracias.

 

[chauncey]

I started using a notepad (little spiral one that journalists and detectives use) to write down all of the little things that bounce around my head. Tasks that need to be completed, errands that need to be run, calls that need to be made, ideas for future projects, financial stuff, etc. Writing it down means I don't have to think about the dozens of random things that need to get done and I can focus on the present. When I have a break or am motivated I just pull out the notepad and plow through that ####.

Recently found this Tom Hopkins teaching and liked it.

http://getmotivation.com/articlelib/articles/golden12_thopkins.htm