When in Doubt, Make A List. Great advice from Scott. When I’m stuck or doubting the right way to approach something my fallback is always to write a list down in my notebook, think it over, and then add it to OmniFocus. It may feel like a step backward at first but it always gets me moving in the right direction.
Tag Archives: productivity
David Allen & Merlin Mann
It’s almost 7 years old now but through the show notes of a Back to Work episode I ran across this interview Merlin Mann did with David Allen in 2006. It’s a compilation of 8 short conversations they had about everything from procrastination to priorities. Something… Continue reading →
Jason Fried, Be More Productive. Shorten the Workweek:
When there’s less time to work, you waste less time. When you have a compressed workweek, you tend to focus on what’s important. Constraining time encourages quality time.
I’ve found that to be true not just on the week level but also on the day-to-day level. Limiting the number of hours you’re around in a morning, afternoon, or entire day forces you to really focus.
Most people measure productivity in terms of work, what they’re paid to do.
I prefer a different measure.
Productivity is the measure of how effectively you get done the things you rationally, explicitly want to do (including work when necessary). Productivity is the output of the exercise of free will. This isn’t a new generalization, adherents of GTD and other productivity systems know that productivity is about your life, not just your work.
Tantek Çelik — The Acceleration of Addictiveness vs Willpower, Productivity, and Flow.
There are so many productivity tools and philosophies out there, but it ultimately comes down to our own inner compass and ability to stay on track with whatever we are doing. And the key to that is the ability to be aware.
Are you making something?. Seth Godin writes about how distraction can build when you use the same device for work and play. Using a separate device for play so allows you to realize how much break time you’re taking. That way you can get back to making something real.
WordCamp Philly Slides
Later today I’m presenting about how to use Edit Flow to master an editorial workflow from within WordPress. The slides below cover what I’m talking about which includes some new features coming in 0.6 which will be released shortly. If you have any questions about… Continue reading →
Merlin Mann writes about “distraction-free software” and its problems:
[It is bad to be] leaving your starry-eyed customers with the nauseatingly misguided impression that their “distraction” originates from anyplace but their own busted-ass brain is really not “helping.” Not on any level. It is, literally, harmful.
How Mobile Devices Could Lead to More City Living
Living in an urban area with public transportation beats driving in from suburbia. Productivity can start once you leave the house: That first hour of the day, Apple and Google employees are banging out emails and getting ready for the day, not sitting in traffic carrying… Continue reading →
Apps That Do Not Sync via the Cloud
A useful-sounding idea from Shawn Blanc for what would be close to my ideal task manager: And my next wish? A cloud-based service like Instapaper, but for to-do items. I want it to be available in apps like Tweetie, Reeder, and more, so when I… Continue reading →