Welcome to 3 ideas for 2 minutes –
Productivity Top Tips that give you time.
Favourite Read
Productivity and the UK economy (The Independent)
Is it any surprise that UK productivity is low when we're a nation of workaholics? asked James Moore in the Independent last week. The recent budget also highlighted gloomy prospects for Britain's productivity. Who's to blame? Management style is questioned, how can...
TED talk on bored and brilliant
A recent IBM survey identified creativity as the number one leadership competency. Pity we're too busy to allow our brains to create great ideas. It's only when we allow our brains to be bored that we go into default mode and connections are made. This TED talk by...
10 Ways Smart People Stay Calm
Hans Selye famously said it's not stress that kills us but our reaction to it. This is why I love this post by Travis Bradberry on 10 Ways Smart People Stay Calm. A surprising statistic in number 1. My favourites are numbers 4, 5 and 6. Link to article here.
Compound time
I've been meaning to share this article for a while but it's a biggie and takes time to consider. The writer's premise is this: step away from busy work to spend time on activities that fuel the big picture. Taking 10 minutes to read this could be a start. What...
Gina London Article
This week's read has to be a favourite as it's based on an interview with Get More Done at Work by communications guru Gina London for her column in Ireland's Sunday Independent. If we want to communicate better with others, let's get the messaging we tell ourselves...
Need more time
I love this post by blogger Todd Bison. If you've ever heard yourself saying "where does the time go?" then it's worth a read. He notes several reasons why we perceive time to be illusive and suggests ways to slow it down. My favourite idea, and one I already do, is...
Ikea ad – time for body and mind
The new Ikea ad, Lion Man, holds an important message for getting things done. It suggests the best preparation for life is to do nothing at all. The lion after all achieves great things despite spending most of its time lying around. To recharge body and mind start...
Declutter
Declutter your life. Declutter your mind. So says Darius Foroux in his latest blog. His musings talk of personal experience and having to move house a lot but the underlining message is powerful - let go of unnecessary stuff and the space gained is not just physical...
9 things to accomplish more
I like a list. This read is a list of the 9 things the most effective people always do. Note effective, not efficient i.e. getting the right things done. What could you learn from the habits of Elon Musk, Warren Buffett and Herb Keller? See full article here.
Making tough decisions
This blog post featured in the HuffPost offers a framework for making decisions without regret. The ideas I find most useful are: taking perspective - how would I feel about the decision at 80? paying attention to procrastination - what's the real reason for not...
Favourite Tool
Task Rabbit
Do you have chores to do and no time to do them? TaskRabbit could be just what you need. From DIY to picking up the dry cleaning to sourcing presents, there's a 'rabbit' aka capable person out there to do it for you. Protects most valuable use of your time. Link to...
MS Outlook create appointment
I use this tool to help with this week's favourite experiment - send emails directly to calendar in MS Outlook. As the email usually has all of the details needed for an event, attaching it to the calendar entry for the event cuts down on info searching at the time....
Empty the bin
On the theme of managing stress, this is a helpful metaphor - keep calm and empty the bin. The 'bin' represents our lives filling with stress each day - missed train, difficult conversation, task overwhelm - the list goes on. We need to empty the bin before it...
Compound time
Exploring the favourite read you'll have discovered this week's tool - compound time. Step away from urgent work, slow down, and invest in activities that have a long-term payoff in greater knowledge, creativity, and energy. Like compound interest, the payoff comes...
Jotnot
If you're on the go and want to be more productive during travel time, this tool could help. It's an app that scans documents so they can be read later on a phone or tablet. Quality is better than a photo. Check it out here.
Bullet Journal
If you're a list-maker you'll love this tool - the Bullet Journal an analogue system for a digital age. It takes a bit of setting up but when you're done it's flexible and fast to use, giving a birdseye view of weekly and monthly tasks. Check it out here.
Grammarly.com
The recommended tool this edition is Grammarly - a plug-in that makes sure everything you write is clear, effective and mistake-free. Clear communication is central to getting things done. Could this be a handy side kick to your messaging? Check it out here.
Spark Joy
Need help knowing what to discard? A simple yet effective tool is the mantra of decluttering guru Marie Kondo - does it spark joy? In deciding whether something should stay or go simply answer this question. For more guidance check out her book. Link on Amazon here.
LoMo meetings
Recently (edition 34) I mentioned the LoMo method for managing meetings. A low-tech tool to make meetings more productive through self-organising, self-responsibility, speed, clarity and decision making
5 second rule
Another tool to kick procrastination into touch is Mel Robbin's 5 second rule. You know you want to do something so the moment you feel yourself hesitate start counting backwards 5-4-3-2-1, then GO. It works because it takes 5 seconds for the rational brain to kick in...
Favourite Experiment
My Email Management System
I promised an update on how I'm managing to keep on top of emails. In the past month my simple steps have been: check email periodically for emergencies and process properly when in the inbox. Process means the 4 Ds - Do now (reply straight away and move to Actioned...
Write down details at the time
I've noticed recently how much time I waste looking for details of events just before they happen - what time does it start? who's the point of contact? do I know where I'm going? This is mostly when the information came in a letter or was embedded in an email - takes...
Pilates
One of my favourite ways to empty the bin is my weekly pilates class. Time spent focusing on tricky moves while keeping balance means my brain can't focus on anything else. The headspace and exercise combined are the perfect antidote to whatever cortisol has been...
Change the scene – compartmentalise
Need to get something done but procrastinating about it? Try compartmentalising - create a physical space where you go to get something done. I used it this week to write a report while on a train - my commitment was to do nothing but the report for the duration and...
Work in sprints
These past two weeks have seemed busier than ever. Competing priorities, all needing some attention. Without the time I would like, I've taken a sprint approach. Take a task, refresh my energy and go for it full speed but for a short period of time. The intensity...
Gratitude – noting what went well
You get what you focus on. Noting what went well in a given day brings more of it, making it easier to get things done. My experiment of late is making this a habit. I try to do it at the same time and place which helps me create a routine. Life seems good at the...
Tasks in buckets
Recently I've been experimenting with putting tasks into buckets and doing all of the same types together. A bunch of emails, a sequence of calls, a block of thinking time, you get the drift. It helps me feel more focused, takes less energy and gets more done. I think...
Clearing the office
I think of September like a second new year. The lull at the end of August is my perfect time for a clear out. I've just blitzed my office of everything unnecessary, that doesn't spark joy. The space it creates is a perfect platform for thinking, creating and getting...
To do list on the phone
Own a smartphone? How often do you look at it each day? If you're like me, a lot. A quick trick I'm trying is putting a photo of my to-do list, or just most important tasks, and saving it as the lock screen. At least now if I check my phone a lot, I get a frequent...
5 second rule
Inspired by Mel Robbins' 5 second rule, I've been putting it to the test. It's helped me tackle several tasks I was putting off. They say the water's always warmer once your in. I've found this rule works as the equivalent of holding your nose, closing your eyes and...