More tips for productivity

In my earlier post, I gave some productivity tips that I’ve personally found very useful. Now’s the time for some more.

4. Todo lists

Lists are nice in more ways than one.

They help you not to forget stuff. Duh. I mean come on, it’s pretty much impossible to not remember something you see every time you glance at that piece of paper on your desk. And it’s not only about the paper. Even if you tore it up into pieces, the very act of having written down the list in the first place would have created a more lasting mental imprint, making the items easier to remember. (The mind palace technique is an extreme example of the same phenomenon, by the way.)

Additionally, todo lists are also great for getting organized. Whether we are talking about this afternoon or the next four years, it’s beneficial to have at least a rough impression of what needs to be done. And lists do precisely that. Even without any explicit timetable, writing and having a list pretty much forces your brain to some sort of pre-scheduling on the subconscious level. Even if you don’t realize that.

Which brings us to my next point. Often, it’s recommended to start on the biggest and most important item, to get it done first. While this approach has its benefits, my recommendation is…it depends.

If you have a couple of two-hour tasks, it’s fine. If you should water the plants, answer one email, and make your PhD thesis, it’s much better to go through the items in that order. So no starting with the thesis here.

By crossing the first two items off your checklist, you both generate some sense of accomplishment and gather some momentum. Both will make the biggest task easier to start. And, even though you probably don’t come even close to finishing it, you will at least have done something come evening. This is a much nicer feeling than having done nothing, isn’t it?

Finally, a thesis won’t die even if you don’t water it for a few days. Ha ha.

Besides letting you see that you are actually getting quite a few tasks done, todo lists are great for managing stress. Indeed, a common recommendation is to do a brain dump at the end of each day, writing down the most important tasks for the next day.

This is supposed to help you sleep better. And I tend to agree. By having your objectives written down, you at least remove the stress of forgetting to do them. That’s impossible when you have a list, remember.

Also, the list-making itself can also mark the end of that day’s responsibilities, freeing your mind to roam around nicer thoughts (well that came out hippy-ish). This might require some practice, though. Heck, I sometimes find it very difficult to let go of tricky work-related problems. That being said, it can be done – with some discipline. Write down, and only think of anything not-work afterwards. Continuous conscious effort will become an automatic habit in a few short weeks. Might take longer than 21 days, though.

And don’t let it slip, or you’re back to square one.

5. Just start

A few moments ago, I mentioned a thing called momentum. And it is exactly what it sounds like. Just like stationary objects like to stay at rest, lazy academics like to stay on Facebook. And just as heavy objects take a lot of work to get moving fast, jumping right on the biggest baddest task can be a very energy-intensive feat.

Luckily, the flipside is also true. Let’s say that you have to roll a moderately big, moderately round rock somewhere (people still do that kind of stuff, don’t they?). Usually, the most effort is needed to get it moving in the first place. Afterwards, the movement can be maintained with a short sharp push every second or so. It’s hard and draining, but still much easier than the initial struggle.

And it works exactly the same for humans at work. In my experience, it’s better to start with really small and easy tasks, and build up from there. Sometimes, when you’re suffering from a colossal writer’s block and can’t seem to get anything done, really small can mean reaaaally small indeed. I’m talking about forcing yourself to sit in front of your computer to type an opening sentence along the lines

“This is an opening sentence for my paper, dealing with –“.

I’ve been there and done that.

After this, writing a very slightly more sensible second sentence is just another sharp push. And so is the first paragraph after that, as is making your thesis after that.

Right?

6. Just quit

Of course not. Humans are not robots. Continuing with the rock metaphor, it’s only so long you can keep pushing it around. Sooner or later, you’ve got to have a break. That’s fine. And, after enough hours, you simply have to call it a day. Keep pushingfor too long, and your grip will slip and the rock will roll over you. You’ll end up with crush injuries, and possibly die.

Okay, maybe I’ve pushed the rock taken the metaphor far enough by now. My point is, know your limits. Working too long and too hard will reduce the quality of your output. Sometimes that’s an acceptable and unavoidable trade-off. More often, it’s just plain obstinateness. In any case, it will tap into your adaptive reserves, requiring some extra recovery time afterwards.

If you find that is not the case and you can easily keep pushing really hard for really long, without any ill effect…you haven’t been working really hard, have you? Stop pampering yourself, and adjust your standards.

Anyway, and finally, sometimes it’s a good idea to just stop before you have even really started. Maybe it’s raining heavily, everything is slippery and the ground has turned into soft mud (and the rock is back!). Maybe you are suffering from some severe non-work-related stress and can’t concentrate at all. Or maybe the office is simply being renovated in a really noisy and dusty-everywhere fashion. Or maybe it’s just one of those worst 10% of days.

In any case, sometimes it’s just better to try again tomorrow.

More tips for productivity