You know those un-fun days at your desk when you have a lot to do, but don't want to do any of it? When I have long lists of mundane tasks that seem way less interesting than checking (again) what people are saying on Facebook?
A simple technique
I came across a little online club a couple of years ago that celebrates a productivity tool called the Pomodoro technique. (They explained that pomodoro was italian for tomato.) You can get all the info straight from the source here. Keep reading after the jump to get my take on the technique.
Showing posts with label productivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label productivity. Show all posts
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Clear your inbox, clear your mind
What do you do with your groceries when you get back from the store?
At my house they sit on the kitchen table for a while. My wife and I pretend to not see them as we wait for each other to put them away. Before the end of the day, though, they get put away in the refrigerator, cupboards and pantry in the garage.
Cluttered kitchens
What if we didn't put them away? Ever? It's ridiculous to think of us digging through bags that were organized by cart-pushers whenever we need the cumin. You can't enjoy a meal eating at a table that is covered with paper and plastic, and we'd likely end up eating our meals in the living room, until the couch and coffee table would get covered when my wife returns from Trader Joe's next week.
So, as I said, we put the groceries away.
Out-of-date emails
So why are our inboxes overflowing with emails from several months ago? It's not a lot different. If you don't put your emails away, but instead work out of your inbox, your inbox will NEVER be cleaned out, and things you need to do will get overlooked. Guaranteed.
I've got recommendations on how to handle your daily flood of emails... after the jump.
At my house they sit on the kitchen table for a while. My wife and I pretend to not see them as we wait for each other to put them away. Before the end of the day, though, they get put away in the refrigerator, cupboards and pantry in the garage.
Cluttered kitchens
What if we didn't put them away? Ever? It's ridiculous to think of us digging through bags that were organized by cart-pushers whenever we need the cumin. You can't enjoy a meal eating at a table that is covered with paper and plastic, and we'd likely end up eating our meals in the living room, until the couch and coffee table would get covered when my wife returns from Trader Joe's next week.
So, as I said, we put the groceries away.
Out-of-date emails
So why are our inboxes overflowing with emails from several months ago? It's not a lot different. If you don't put your emails away, but instead work out of your inbox, your inbox will NEVER be cleaned out, and things you need to do will get overlooked. Guaranteed.
I've got recommendations on how to handle your daily flood of emails... after the jump.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)