Productivity Traps And How To Be More Productive

Over the years, I tried many productivity tools to keep up with my ever-growing to do list. I had the original Palm Pilot, Handspring Visor Platinum, and Sony Clie T-665C; but in the end, nothing beats my trusty old notebook. There’s something about the ability to quickly write, doodle, and sketch without worrying about the particulars, like the Graffiti handwriting recognition system that can’t be replicated — these PDAs (personal digital assistants) are simply too clumsy.

Photo from Image*After

Common Productivity Traps

Even with the notebook, it takes a lot of discipline to maximize my productivity. Some of the pitfalls I usually fell victim to, and still having problem with, are:

Do something immediately and forget other tasks I need to do because I didn’t bother to write them down.
Write down a task that only takes a few minutes to complete (a mini-task), so that I have the satisfaction of crossing it off. This is actually counter-productive.
Don’t make a note as soon as I thought of something, and then later forget.
Try to do too many things at the same time, and invariably something goes wrong.
Get distracted while doing an extended task.

Productivity Improvement Tips

To help me improve, I tried the following with some success:

Before I start each day, I write down all the tasks I can think of, including the mini-tasks.
Eliminate unnecessary tasks.
Tackle the more time-sensitive and smaller tasks first.
As soon as a thought pop into my head, I take note (I forget easily).
If a mini-task comes up, I try to do it right away and don’t bother to put it in my notebook.
Don’t start something if I know I don’t have enough time to do a good job — e.g., don’t read comments on my posts unless I have time to answer them, or don’t read a post on another blog unless I have time to finish the post, etc.
Group related tasks into one extended tasks — e.g., don’t check email every 10 minutes, just do it once in the morning, at noon, and in the late afternoon.
Don’t try to do more than two things at once.

What are your favorite productivity tips?

This article was featured in the Carnival of Personal Development and Life Success #20 hosted by Synergy Institute.

7 Comments

The Happy Rock
October 11, 2007, 15:25

I use a Dell Axim, and it works great when I use it. It’s use tends to wax and wain depending on my level of ‘on top of things’.
Matt Wolfe
October 11, 2007, 17:27

I always carry a notebook with me. I couldn’t live without taking notes through out the day. I actually had a PDA for a little while but it just wasn’t the same…
Pinyo
October 12, 2007, 4:29

@The Happy Rock – I used my PDA a lot when I first got it too, but eventually I stop and go back to my notebook.
@Matt – Exactly!
Eric
October 13, 2007, 8:15

I used to have a little notebook that would fit in my pocket with a half-height pen until the pen broke (but luckily didn’t ruin my pants). It was really handy while it lasted. If I could find something similar (with a better quality pen) I would probably do that again.
On my PC I use an application called ThinkingRock to compile my todo lists all in one place. In the mornings, I can run a report that will list what I need to do based on bunch of criteria. It’s worth checking out, and it’s free. If I could sync it with a Palm app that would make it that much better for me.
Joel
October 16, 2007, 17:45

I use the voice recorder on my cell phone to record important thoughts or reminders that cross my mind throughout the day. In terms of managing information at work, someone I use to work taught me his “man of action” philosophy. It’s simple- if someone comes across your path that you can do quickly and easily, do it immediately and as fast as possible. Yes these distractions add up throughout the day, but they don’t linger around and add to your stress level since soon after you encounter them, you’ve knocked them off.
For multi-day or multi-week projects I work on alone, I usually do those away from my desk. I’ll sit in an empty office, outside, or work from home and get it done.
The benefits are great. People expect quick action from you and appreciate it, you don’t have a million issues pile up, and find solitude to handle the important projects. Works for me!
Pinyo
October 16, 2007, 19:56

@Eric – I used my PC for a while too, but find that it’s not very portable. At this point, I’ve already retired my PDAs so I probably won’t be checking it out. Thanks for the suggestion though. Others may find it helpful.
@Joel – welcome to Moolanomy! Sometimes I wish I can do that with my cellphone. I have a nice digital voice recorder I got as a training gift, but never use it. I think I am more on the visual side and prefer to write or draw things down.
I love the “man of action” philosophy. That’s exactly what I meant by mini-task that should be done right away.
Make Friends, Earn Money
May 20, 2008, 11:54

Great Tips i especially like “Tackle the more time-sensitive and smaller tasks first.” Some times it’s not always the bigger things that need to be addressed first.