Open Thread: What’s Your Productivity Secret?
Posted by Dave Navarro
As a busy freelancer / entrepreneur, you wear a lot of hats. You not only do your specialty work, but you’re also a marketer, blogger, customer service, deal-maker, etc. … and still you keep it all together and get the job done every time. What’s your secret to staying organized, staying current, and staying one step ahead of your growing business?
Take a moment and tell us one of your ninja productivity techniques in a comment below … and subscribe to the comments feed so you can get tips from other high-achieving freelancers!
See you in the comment section,
Dave
15 Rockin' Comments
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Keeping email and reader closed when working.
Remembering to take breaks–even naps–and spend time with family to recharge.
Starring emails and feeds, blowing everything else away, then going back to work on the starred items.
Writing all my blog posts during the weekend and future publishing them throughout the week.
Recently committed myself to eat more vegetarian/vegan meals, drink less coffee and more green tea. The results have been great!
Killed my facebook account.
Turned off comment moderation on my blog.
Shaved my head. Now I go faster, since I’m more aerodynamic.
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:57 pm
One is David Allen’s GTD system.
Two is focus on one task at a time if the task requires it. I multi-task small items that can be done without too much effort, but for big items, it’s best to concentrate.
Three is the ability to context switch and get straight back to work! There are tons of daily interruptions. We can’t just let one interfere with our ‘flow’. It’s worth learning how to get into your flow in less than 2 minutes.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:14 am
First and foremost is my Google calendar. I’d be lost without it.
Second: attempt to wake up before James can send me anymore stuff (which is nearly impossible considering the 3 hour time difference).
Third: When stuck, work on project for at least 10 minutes.
Fourth: When all else fails, fire up the bike and hit the road, returning only when head is sufficiently cleared.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:29 am
Since you included “staying organized”, I’ll say one thing that has really been helping me recently is the use of IWantSandy.com.
I tend to keep to-do items in my head (even if I write them down too), which is okay for items that should be done soon, but works badly for things that should be done “later”. And I’ve never had any luck paying attention to prioritzation or due dates on my to-do lists.
However, I am good about keeping my email clean. I always have been. With I Want Sandy, if I need to remember something, I send it an email and tell it when to remind me. And then I forget about it until it sends me a reminder email.
Here are some of the ways I use this:
* Remind me to set up a lunch with a business colleague every 2 months.
* Remind me to follow-up with a customer regarding a system problem they were experiencing.
* Remind me to download the latest version of some software before my support contract expires (or renew it).
* Remind me to bill someone later if I can’t do it easily right away.
There are probably other tools that will do this, so it doesn’t have to be I Want Sandy (although their service is free, so why not?) But for how I work, it seems to do the trick.
FYI - Not associated with them; just a satisfied user!
February 4th, 2008 at 6:11 am
This will seem a little silly, but really, I just love what I do. That’s plenty to keep me focussed on the job.
So, not that helpful, right? We can’t always be working on things we love 100% of the time. In this case, I like to set myself a few little goals, so that even where there is little pleasure in the work itself, there is pleasure in the achievement of my little milestones. For instance, finish off that report by lunch, Mandy, and you’ll enjoy your tuna sandwich that little bit more.
And, I agree with Avonelle: I Want Sandy is pretty handy. I’ve set up little systems (for example, my risk management processes) that utilise her friendly and timely reminders. Very helpful, because risk management is one of those things (there are a few…) that can be easily put off or forgotten without a system.
February 4th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Well, its probably an easy sell when someone has been reading your blog for a year or so!
February 4th, 2008 at 7:13 am
I often have the habit of slacking. The way I pick myself up is to do a “to-do list” - a list of tasks I am procastinating. This way, I gain clarity on what to do and also makes it less formidable. I start with the simplest of tasks and get more focussed and slide into the bigger tasks with not much friction.
February 4th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I put only 3 things on my to do list each day so I don’t overwhelm myself. And I’ve learned to put 3 things that really matter to my business.
I meditate for at least 15 minutes in the morning. When I do I’m like a productivity machine, when I don’t there is too much thinking and not enough productivity.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:04 am
One of the best ways I know about is to use outsourcing and systemise the whole business. Takes a bit of setting up, but once it’s done and a system is in place, you have more free time. James Brausch offers the same system he uses in his business. http://www.FreedomBusinessSystem.com if interested.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:35 am
First of all the easiest way I keep track of notes, ideas etc. is to keep everything in a Moleskine or notebook. I try to eliminate loose paper.
Second, I use a timer (cheap digital timer) and give each task a time limit. This helps wonderfully in the world of distractions.
Like Stacey, I’m learning to simplify my “to-do” list to a few items each day.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I like the idea of a timer! Great idea.
One thing I forgot to mention in my previous comment: Remember the Milk (http://rememberthemilk.com).
Hands down best list manager ever. You can hook into Gmail and Google Calendar.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I use David Allen’s GTD methods to a degree but what really made me more productive was using GTD in conjunction with Michael Linenberger’s “Total Workday Control”. It’s turned Outlook 2007 from a piece of junk into something my life is dependent on.
I’ve also found that scheduling a definite block of time to do ‘Tasks’ or ‘Focus Time’ or ‘Project Time’ keeps me on task. If I don’t schedule anything for the day I tend to meander.
Oh, I also keep a work journal that tracks all the stuff I’ve done for the day in big strokes. Sometimes I get frustrated thinking I don’t make any progress from day to day (or year to year). The journal helps a lot… and tells me I’m not slacking. ;-)
February 7th, 2008 at 7:27 am
My personal productivity fave is Wrike [http://www.wrike.com/]. It’s a perfect solution for a freelancer, as you can manage your projects without making your clients logg on to the project management site all the time. They can contribute via email and it’s very convenient.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
In advance…I determine my Goals for the year.
I determine my Goals for each month.
I determine my Goals for each week. I map out my Goals for the week in advance on Sunday night.
I base my activities for each day around what my Goals are for the week.
Having this kind of clarity helps keep me focused and efficient. If I have planned properly, I reach my Goals and often exceed them.
Live Your Dreams,
Jill
February 13th, 2008 at 11:14 am
1) Less paper! I break this rule all the time.
2) CRM! I used to use ACT, but like the customizability of Bento.
Share your thoughts, leave a comment!