What is your favorite productivity hack?

marielpearl·Dec 08, 2020

Would love to hear everyone's tips and tricks for productivity! So far im getting into time boxing and can use new suggestions :)

megduffy·Dec 08, 2020

Making my to-do list the night before really helps. By taking 5 minutes at the end of the day to plan the next one, I'm able to see what needs to get done, realistically set goals, and get out of my own way come morning. Otherwise, I'll spend the first bits of my day deliberating what to work. It feels so good to see the list and just get down to business.

americaturner·Dec 08, 2020

Divide tasks 💡(or emails) by- critical: must get done today - important: should get done today but can happen tomorrow - nice to do: I would like to tackle these tasks this week but is not essential for progress

Iynna·Dec 09, 2020

@americaturner go you! I am so impressed by people who actually take time to write such thorough lists and seem to prioritise so well :)

asebold·Dec 08, 2020

Noise cancelling headphones. I listen to only instrumental music or no music at all. Helps me block out so many distractions.

Iynna·Dec 09, 2020

Omg I do that with white noise!

DivyaRaghavan·Dec 09, 2020

I use brainfm. The octates in their music helps me calm my mind and focus.

HannahBaldovino·Dec 08, 2020

Great question! So I had this bad habit of procrastination for the longest so lately I've been trying to tackle the thing on my to-do list that I'm most dreading first. That way once that's done, everything else is a piece of cake.

sophiehebdidge·Dec 08, 2020

If I've got a big time-consuming task I use the pomodoro method to make sure I take breaks.

Iynna·Dec 09, 2020

Great minds alike Sophie ;)

Fara·Dec 15, 2020

I love Pomodoro method.

Iynna·Dec 09, 2020

Pomodoro technique! What have yours been @marielpearl?

billie·Dec 09, 2020

I've started booking meetings with myself to get heads down time on things.

mego·Dec 09, 2020

I've also started doing this! Find it super helpful.

Mbereimani·Dec 09, 2020

Oh yes I do this all the time! Naming the meeting what I want to accomplish helps

MashaVasilenko·Dec 09, 2020

A combination of some of these things:- Forest app for blocking distraction on the phone- “Study/Work together” sessions over zoom or simply turning on recordings on YouTube - Recording yourself working (no joke - that feeling of “Big brother is watching you” really helps!)- Freedom app for desktop or mobile to block websites you do to want to visit while working (e.g, Gmail;)- deleting FB and Instagram on my mobile- Freedom app

Reina113·Dec 09, 2020

Block Site chrome add-in for me! 55 min "work mode" sessions and then a 5 min break. Repeat.

Mbereimani·Dec 09, 2020

I like the idea of turning a recording on! I might try this

sy65331·Dec 09, 2020

Previously, I would set myself a time to complete a task. E.g. you MUST use the next 45 mins to complete this press release. Or you MUST clear and reply to all your email in 10 mins. It surprisingly works! I have this other trick which is quite controversial (I think), which is to take a nap and then use the after-nap energy and blaze through everything after.

rema·Dec 09, 2020

Hand written TODO lists the night before. Helps me dump them from my head, sleep better and feel more in control.Hand written notes, thoughts, ideas.Digital notebooks/task management systems don't cut it for me somehow. For traceability though I do this on my iPad and find Goodnotes to be a great app for keeping separate notebooks.

ginafitz·Dec 09, 2020

Mushroom coffee! Then quite room and start going through the to do list

keriannsabatini·Dec 09, 2020

Taking a walk. Getting outside + getting exercise, especially in the mornings, makes a huge difference in keeping me on-task and clear-headed and makes a huge improvement in my general mental health. Plus, now I go with my boyfriend sometimes and we get fancy coffees (ooh, fancy coffee!) or I go to look at the holiday lights :)

AlexandraAitchison·Dec 10, 2020

I second this! Amazing what fresh air and exercise can do to clear the head and help maintain focus while at the desk.

adriennesmith·Dec 14, 2020

Pomodoro method and time blocking! And I split up my to-do list. Meetings are in a separate place from tasks, and I try not to have more than 2-3 main tasks in a day (otherwise I get all discombobulated)

vanessa·Dec 14, 2020

I’ve been using Reclaim AI to ensure that I take more breaks for lunch and block out deep work time. For December, I’ve also been doing a run 1 mile/day challenge so that I get in physical activity and vitamin D to prevent the afternoon sleepiness.