Tuesday Morning Productivity Tips

This post follows up yesterday’s article, Monday Morning Productivity Tips.

Don’t Be a Slave to Lists

My todo lists used to feature depressingly monolithic items. I stopped using them for a while because they created too much unwanted pressure.

I’ve found the key to working productively is atomic todo list items: 15 minute tasks rather than complex goals. Divide and conqueror has never been more apt.

Identify Stressors

I realised my email client stressed me out. It sat there in my Mac’s dock with a big red number nagging me about all the mail I need to read. It also made a sound when I got new mail, and even the thought of that sound still stresses me out.

I discovered I worked far more effectively when I quit my mail and only loaded it when I had time to properly deal with email.  This also means when I’m reading my mail I can respond at the same time.

Identify what your environmental and workflow stressors are and see if you can remove or optimise them.

Improve Your Environment

One thing always stuck with me from my studies of Herzberg’s motivational theory: environmental improvements are linked to productivity.

Tidying your desk is a good quick win, but even little things like putting up pictures can help a lot.  If you work on a laptop you should really get an external keyboard and mouse and stand for it — this is for ergonomic and health reasons.

Put Family and Health Before Work

To work productively you need to be focused and happy: it’s difficult to be creative and work hard when you’re worried about something. Be strict about your work day: if you want to finish at 6pm make sure you do.

I recently heard the phrase “work won’t love you back” and it’s true: over the last 3 years of freelancing I’ve had weeks where I’ve worked 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, then worked at the weekend as well.

Ultimately I wasn’t focused — I needed structure in my working day.

Adding structure is easy: decide when to start work and when to take breaks. I’m a firm believer of having a proper lunch every day, not a five minute break at your desk with Facebook and a sandwich. A relaxing lunch with real food is obviously good for your health, but it also provides a landmark in your day’s structure.