Discover Your Inner Samurai: Win the book!
January 14, 2008 by Phil Gerbyshak
Filed under contests
In addition to sharing 7 sure-fire ways to boost productivity, Dr. Susan Reid has been kind enough to share a copy of her book Discovering Your Inner Samurai with 1 lucky reader.
How can you win a copy? Answer 1 question in the comments, and I’ll pick a winner at random on Friday January 18th, 2008.
What’s the question:
What’s YOUR surefire tip to boost productivity?
Just leave your answer in the comments by 5 PM central time on Friday January 18th, 2008. I’ll pick the winner at random, announce it next Monday, and share it Monday morning. Winner will need to provide a valid mailing address (it’s a book, not a gift certificate) and I reserve the right to select the winner by random number using the integer generator (first in the list) from Random.org
Disclaimer: The winner of the Discover Your Inner Samurai book giveaway will be selected from the comments submitted by 5 PM central time on January 18th, 2008 by Phil Gerbyshak, whose decision is final in all matters relating to this book giveaway. Of course, your odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible comments received. The Winner will be notified by the email address provided with the comment. Upon initial notification and verification, the Winner’s copy of the book will be shipped to the address provided by the Winner following notification. Approximate value of book is $24.95. No warranties are expressed or implied. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Go Packers!
Phil, There are days I’m so busy I charge off into the day, working feverishly to get something accomplished, only to fail.
I have found that slowing down, taking time in the morning to make or review my to-do list is crucial. It gives a fresh focus on what needs doing and gets my mind thinking about how to do it.
I guess it comes down to “plan your work, then work your plan.”
For me it comes down to one thing: Out of sight, out of mind. When I am working on what is in front of me, I am work demon, even if I am not too motivated. My family are all workaholics, so the ethic rubbed off. Unfortunately, we are not too organized and if I put a memo, or to do list in the wrong place, then when I am finished, I don’t see it, I forget about it until it is almost too late and then I am working from a crisis. I simply keep things I must do in places where I must see them.
I put my alarm clock on top of my journal on the floor next to my bed. When it goes off, I must roll out of bed to stop it, then I see the journal, I write, then I do my pushups, stretches etc.
My home page is Joe’s goals. I open my browser to check my email and I must see my current goal status.
Nothing short or medium term is ever put away until it is completed.
By the way, fair warning, if I do win, I live in Tokyo ( ironic hunh?)
Wake up early. If I get up early I feel as if I get off to a good start to the day.
Determination - lots and lots of it. Plus hard work. These are my pillars and I’d be lost without them.
This is such a great giveaway that I decided to put it up on my blog - A Book Blogger’s Diary
Hope that’s ok. Thanks and have a great New Year!
Do not worry. I find that worrying about completing everything on your to do list only slows you down. Just do what you can on the list and do not sweat the missed stuff. Time is productivity, do not waste it rushing. Haste always makes waste.
My one productivity tip is stop doing things that don’t really matter. That’s easier said than done but if you can concentrate on your real passions and goals and then eliminate all the wasted time and efforts on meaningless tasks, its the easiest way to make yourself far more productive with obvious progress in life.
Have an established morning routine and wake up early - sets the tone for my day and allows me to get into the swing of things at an unhurried pace.
Set aside a particular time of day to work without any phone calls or drop-ins. If your work doesn’t require the computer, avoid it during this time too.
My tip would have to be to make sure and get enough sleep. We’re in an always on society now that sometimes we think we’ll miss out on something, but let me tell you, get enough sleep and when you are actually awake you’ll get more done. Nothing cool about being sleep deprived…
Every morning make a list of the tasks for the day and estimate how long it might take to accomplish each task. Accept meetings and conversations only if there is time remaining and then be sure to write down actual time taken for each task and you know areas in which to improve. There is great satisfaction in marking tasks completed even if only returning a phone call.
Hello, I have to set goals for myself! If I don’t set goals or expectations for me, then I wouldn’t see much productivity. Thanks,Cindi
Unplug from current events. By logging out of instant messenger, Twitter, your RSS reader and email you can focus on your task with fewer distractions.
There is a neat little software tool called RescueTime that tracks how you use applications on your computer. Using this for a few weeks you can get a better idea on where you are spending the bulk of your time and what you should eliminate from your day to be more focused.
My answer comes from actually experience. Many employees fail to go above and beyond or give 110% per say. When this happens it slows down productivity quite a bit. For example at my job the sales reps make ads sales and I’m responsible for sending the request form over to CS and then when it’s approved I post the ads. When CSR’s go let 12 activations make them take a whole week just to get to your post then we lose money and out clients aren’t happy along with putting everyone behind.
If they were giving 110% using time management skills and coming up with a plan to make this process go faster and more efficiently this will increase productivity.
The bottom line is no matter what the job is give it your best efforts.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, Colossians 3:23
I make a list of the “to do’s” and organize by the priority. I peak at 10-12 each day, so I can work up to that time on the smaller stuff. But by 12:00 each day, I need to have the nasty stuff I don’t like to do, totally wrapped up. By prioritizing my list, and my energy level, I accomplish what I set out to do each day. Engage when you are at your best, and slack back when you are not….. but still get the job done.
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS… knowing the most important thing to do for the day and putting “heads down” effort into the first thing of the day.
I just recently posted in my blog what I believe to be the key to being productive, Attention on Intention. Focusing your attention on what you want to accomplish and eliminating distractions. It’s important to remain focused on what you want and filter every decision you make through that intention. For every decision, ask yourself, “If I choose to take this route, will it take me toward my intention (or goal) or away from it?”
It may seem obvious, but it always helps me to review what’s on my plate and do those things first that require other people’s input or getting an answer about something from someone. I send off these emails and they go to work for me while I am busy doing other work that can be started right now. It’s always frustrating wanting to complete a project, only to be delayed by needing something that you could have had by now…if only you requested it earlier in the day.
Three things come to mind immediately:
1. If you love what you do - your work, your “calling - then you are more apt to be productive because you are fully engaged. I’m not saying you need to brainwash yourself into loving your work; rather discover the kind of work you can love and go after it!
2. What kind of work setting or environment do you need in order to be most productive? Do what you can to set that up. Some folks like to listen to their favorite music, for others it might be aromatherapy or upbeat colors.
3. What about your biological rhythms? Are you a morning person or an evening person? What about those afternoon doldrums? Could that be avoided by a healthy, protein-packed lunch? Don’t let your productivity be ruled by default - make it work for you!
Susan - Career Assessment Goddess
I have that the surefire way to be more productive is the old cliche’ don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
If you have time to take care of a task today get it done so that way your plate is not full the next day. This is why a lot of people get overwhelmed because they wait to the last possible minute to get a task done.
I don’t really live anywhere near where you can easily mail me but I wanted to drop by and answer the question as well. For me, it’s important to learn when to start, when to continue and when to stop. Sometimes, you’re at a point where you need to take a break in order to ensure productivity in whatever it is you’re preoccupied with.
I schedule time for the specific things I need or want to accomplish. I leave time too for creative time.
Keep it simple. Each day, I decide on 3 (only 3) things I must do that day. Then I work on them until I get them done. If I don’t get one done, it goes on my list for the next day. If I get all 3 done by noon, I get to add 3 more. Never more than 3 at a time. It seems to work. I keep on getting things done….
My surefire way to increased productivity is to plan my day out with an agenda and stick to my schedule, using time management to accomplish the tasks I need to do. I also schedule in fun time to relax during the day, after all that hard work
I follow the “first things first” rule because important matters should not be at the mercy of non-relevant ones. It makes me know my priorities and boost my productivity.
Check email once in the morning and process it per GTD. Use your prioritized task list and schedule actual tasks in the calendar so you have focus and scheduled time to get the important things done. Leave 15-30 min free in the morning and afternoon for a buffer. Check email at the end of the day and do a “mini”-review.
Bonjour! I’m just starting to read David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” but have already learned a ton of useful info. However, I’ve found that — more than anything else — mindfulness has been my best friend when it comes to increasing my productivity. Multi-tasking has taken a toll on my efficiency, as I find that I end up having to correct mistakes I made simply because I couldn’t focus all my attention on the task at hand. I would jump back and forth between windows, notebooks, books, stove burners, etc., and then find myself losing track of everything.
Most successful people I know emphasize the importance of focusing on one task at a time before moving on to the next. It may seem at first to be a slower way of doing things, but you’ll find not just greater satisfaction and higher productivity because of it.
Salut,
Marjorie
Working on a computer can be distracting, especially when it’s connected to the Internet 24/7. Setting aside blocks of time to go through emails and respond or delete is the only way to stay focused. Don’t be tempted to check more often, especially if there is not time to fully deal with each message.
Jill
PS By the way, where is this “disclaimer”?
Jill and everyone else If you click more on the front page, or you just keep reading all the way down, you’ll see the disclaimer. It reads:
The winner of the Discover Your Inner Samurai book giveaway will be selected on January 18th, 2008 by Phil Gerbyshak, whose decision is final in all matters relating to this book giveaway. Of course, your odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible comments received. The Winner will be notified by the email address provided with the comment. Upon initial notification and verification, the Winner’s copy of the book will be shipped to the address provided by the Winner following notification. Approximate value of book is $24.95.
Sorry that wasn’t clearly noted before. Phil Gerbyshak, Slacker Manager
Wow! There are some really great surefire tips to boost productivity here. It will be a joy to share my book with one lucky winner!
They’ve both been said, but for me, the following two have been most significant.
The first is a morning planning time. Spend less than 5 minutes each day thinking over (and sometimes writing) what needs to get done and what would like to get done. The priority and timing of tasks seems to naturally fall out of this.
The second thing I would have to recommend is, whenever possible, complete the task at hand. This seems to apply on such simple things as handling incoming (paper) mail to the more complicated aspects of design work. Beside being more efficient though focusing, avoiding interruptions, limiting switching tasks, it just feels better to be able to say “it is finished”.
I always set a time to which I will work to and then take a fast break (although sometimes that doesn’t work, haha). Then I go back to working some more!