Tips on productivity

I’ve spent all of my life mastering the art of laziness. Like most, I’m very good at slacking off when I want to. But since becoming an employed adult years ago, I’ve discovered ways to be very productive too. Here I explain some things that make me move. Maybe they will work for you.

Know what to do
When you have something to accomplish, take a few minutes to write out a plan full of steps to accomplish the goal. Sometimes you won’t know all of the steps at first. That’s okay, just write what you do know. It helps to write it down so you can just check it off. For example, if my goal was to “get ready for work,” all of my steps would be:

1. Be alive and wake up.
2. Take a shower, brush & floss teeth.
3. Get dressed.
4. Lock bedroom door on the way out so none of your crazy roommates destroy your stuff.
5. Get in car, drive to work. Stop cutting in front of old ladies.

Race yourself
I created this technique when I was employed in Wal-Mart’s pharmacy. One of my tasks was stocking shelves. After my first few weeks of learning where everything goes, my next goal was to do it faster than anyone else. In the morning when I was alone, I would count how many carts of merchandise we have, and time myself to see how fast I could finish them. I would pretend that I was racing against someone else. Occasionally a customer would notice my hussle and look surprised.

I have a similar technique now when I take quizzes for my online classes. Using the program CoolTimer, I’ll set a countdown from 20 minutes and finish as quickly as possible. I can usually ace a quiz within 15 minutes. Alternatively, if I’m at my girlfriend’s house and taking a similar quiz, it usually takes me over an hour and I don’t always do as well. That’s the power of focus.

Sometimes going faster isn’t the best option, and it won’t help you if you’re not playing smart. When I worked with a friend as an electrical and plumbing tester for a mobile home factory, I would constantly try to outpace him. I would move faster. I’d be running around while he was walking at his leisurely pace. But he would finish much quicker than me every time. The reason is although I was trying harder, he understood better what he was doing. He trained me and I tried to copy his routine. It helped, but I was never as fast as him. Maybe eventually I would have been, but I quit after a few months to focus more on school.

So it goes without saying that you should always try to move fast, but it is important to be good at what you do too. Every swimmer knows that racing isn’t about moving your arms wildly fast — it’s about having the best technique. The best stroke. The best whatever (I’m not a swimmer).

Keep a time log
A time log is similar to a money log where you keep track of every penny you spend to see where your money really goes. After doing this for a month, you’ll likely be surprised on some of the stuff you waste money on. Likewise, if you keep track of your time, you can see where it is being wasted. This can be tedious at first but it can also make a big improvement. If you’d like to learn more about this technique, please visit Steve Pavlina’s blog article.

Computer specific (dual monitors)
Just a quick tip for computer users. I’ve read that having a dual monitor setup can increase your productivity by 20% or more. God only knows how they measure that. I’m new to dual monitors and have been using them at work. They are awesome and I do feel that they can vastly increase productivity. Get them!