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What can I start today that will benefit me for a lifetime?

Posted by in Time Management

This is an article by Abu Tyas Tungal in Medium.com. It is a fantastic article best read in more detail if you find this useful.
https://medium.com/spaceship/what-can-i-start-today-that-will-benefit-me-for-a-lifetime-fc54acd89b1b#.bu26aa8lp

 

There’s two types of work according to Cal Newport in Deep Work. There’s deep and then there’s shallow work. Shallow work arises from the internet. Social networks have eaten up our attention span and deleted our ability to fix our mind on anything for long periods of time. Think of shallow work as the tasks that anyone can do, right away with almost no training. It’s simple work ladled with interruption. Using Twitter and replying to emails while you write.

I don’t know about you, but this is a serious issue for me. I am desperate to find a solution to address this issue. This article was a very relevant topic for me. The concept of doing “Deep Work” appeals to my sense of doing something well.

The key learnings that I take away and I recommend you read through in this excellent article are –

1. Forget Time Management – think Attention Management. We, who multi-task, are told to look at task management as the way to succeed. The muscle we need to be building is “Attention Management”. 

In Deep Work, Cal outlines four types of deep work. Namely monastic, bimodal, rhythmic, and journalistic. Each fits a different situation. It depends on your schedule. Deep work is part art and part science. Take what works for you and throw away the rest.

2. Deep work is hard. It is time-consuming. It is deliberate. 
3. Find your “Ikigai” – The Japanese concept of “the reason for being”. It is a lengthy process and will require deep introspection. But finding it early in life will give you the moral compass to target your actions.

     

     

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Eleven Keys to Increasing your Productivity- Brian Tracy

Posted by in Goals, Leadership, Management, Personal Effectiveness, Time Management

No one can put it better than the guru of productivity- Brian Tracy. This is from one of his newsletters – which is exactly how one should improve their productivity.

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  • Develop clear goals and write them down.
    Because higher productivity begins with clear goals, goal setting is a key component of our coaching program. As you know, a goal must be specific and measurable to be effective in guiding your behavior. It must reflect your beliefs and be within your power to achieve.
  • Write a clear action plan.
    Next, if you want to turbo-charge your productivity, make sure you have a clear, written plan of action. Every minute you spend in careful planning will save you as many as ten minutes in execution.
  • Set your priorities.
    The third step is to prioritize your list. Analyze your list before you take action. Identify and start with the high-value tasks on your list.
  • Concentrate and eliminate distractions.
    In this step, choose a high-value activity or task, start on it immediately, and stay with it until it is done. Focusing single-minded attention on one task allows you to complete it far more quickly than starting and stopping.
  • Lengthen your workday but increase your time off.
    By starting your workday a little earlier, working through lunchtime, and staying a little later, you can become one of the most productive people in your field.
  • Work harder at what you do.
    When you are at work, concentrate on work all the time you are there. Don’t squander your time or fall into the habit of treating the workplace as a community where socializing is acceptable.
  • Pick up the pace. At work, develop a sense of urgency and maintain a quicker tempo in all your activities. Get on with the job. Dedicate yourself to moving quickly from task to task.
  • Work smarter.
    Focus on the value of the tasks you complete. While the number of hours you put in is important, what matters most is the quality and quantity of results you achieve.
  • Align your work with your skills.
    Skill and experience count. You achieve more in less time when you work on tasks at which you are especially skilled or experienced.
  • Bunch your tasks.
    Group similar activities and do them all at the same time. Making all your calls, completing all your estimates, or preparing all your presentation slides at the same time allows you to develop speed and skill at each activity.
  • Cut out steps.
    Pull several parts of the job together into a single task and eliminate several steps. Where you can, cut lower-value activities completely.
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