|
| Tuesday, June 3, 2008 |
| Productivity Hack: How to Keep a Sharp Focus at Work |
When you live like me, you have to learn to juggle like me. And what is most important is to be able to learn to have something called "focus" in what you do.
These days, we have a lot of things that could be used to distract us: Internet, SMS (or texting), Friendster, Twitter, instant messaging, RSS feeds, and more. If you do not have any of these distractions, perhaps a little office gossip will take your mind off the more important things. And if you are a little web worker like yours truly, all the more distractions are bound to come your way, in the long run, you are pretty much at risk for losing your focus.
Focus is hard to come by these days. It is not something that you just turn on and off on a whim. Your surroundings are are essential if you want to be more focused. Here are some ways to help achieve a sharper focus as you toil the hours away:
- Plan your day. It is important to list down the things that need to be done today. If you do not have a list to abide to, it is pretty easy to stray from your path and find yourself doing things that could have been done later. In the end, you may have not done what you were really supposed to do.
- Find your down times. At work, most people have a "noisy" time where they somehow relax a bit or become a bit lazy when it comes to work. Find that time which you somewhat do not feel like doing anything and have your break then.
- Set time limits. Everybody has a lot of things to do. So it is best that you set up certain amounts of time to finish or attend to a certain thing and make sure you try to finish what you set off to do for that allotted time. That way, that will be marked off the list of things to do.
- Keep a journal or a diary of the things you did all through the day. The GiGC gave me a 3-year diary as a Christmas present last year (it's pink!), and it has been quite useful in helping me keep tracks on what I did on this particular day, or what happened on this day. Even my frustrations and thoughts go here.
- Use programs to help track your time. Remember when I talked about RescueTime? Yes, that is it. If RescueTime does not help, then I also have an alternative way of keeping track of things to do, the ever helpful MS Excel.
- Take more breaks. I know it sounds crazy, but the only thing that has kept me from having a burn-out is because in every hour, I take at least a couple of minutes off to cool my aching brain. It actually works. One really cannot help process tons of data in 8 straight hours. Have a break, have a KitKat.
- Start the day right. In every single thing you do, it is best to remember that if you start the day right, you go through the day right. Even if there are numerous undesirable things that are bound to happen, if you start off right, eventually, it will end up right again.
These are but a few hacks to keep your focus. I know that it is one of the hardest to achieve. I should know, I think that aside from being a bit obsessive, I think I might also be a tad bit of attention deficit. ;)
Now, Focus!!
 Labels: focus, how to, improvement, learning, lifestyle, productivity, tips |
| posted by Ann @ 8:23 PM
|
|
|
|
| Monday, May 19, 2008 |
| Monday Hacks: Taking Care of Your Inbox |
I use Gmail everyday. Perhaps the fastest way to get to me is through my email. Although I no longer keep it on or check it every few seconds (I used to check it frequently), it is still a part of my day.
One thing you will be able to notice if you look at my email is that my Inbox is almost always empty. No, it is not because nobody loves me and nobody sends me emails. On the contrary, I receive almost a hundred emails per day. Why? Simply because I my email address is like the core of my command center, with iGoogle as the whole enchilada. But that is a different story. Today, I share my secret of having an empty Inbox.
- Don't check your email every minute. I think most people would agree that your time is wasted hugely on the fact that you respond almost immediately as soon as something new comes in. If you've worked with email clients, such as Outlook or Thunderbird - like I do at home, then make sure the alert is turned off. It is best to check emails in intervals. To be honest, I check my emails hourly or every two hours.
- Apply filters. Gmail has this feature which allows you to automatically archive emails and put labels in them. Since my email serves as the command center, I have already set filters into my emails. That way, I can set time as to when I deal with emails that come for which ones. That way, I can easily focus my time into one set of emails - like those that are work related, forwarded, from my mother, from online opps.
- Take care of each email right away. I am not going back on #1, what I mean to say is that you take care of each email as soon as you've read it. Decide what you do with it: delete, archive, forward-archive, forward-delete, reply-archive, reply-delete.
- Is it important that you have to read it for information? If so, I recommend you Star it then Archive, or file it away to a folder/label called "Readables" then Archive it, as soon as you have dealt with it, remove the label and you're good. Or you could print it out and have it as a reading material when doing something outside cyberspace.
- Does the email contain things that you need to do in the future? Take note of the things and details and mark them down in your calendar, to-do list, or somewhere else. Archive email after taking notes.
- One location. In essence, I have just one folder, and it is Archive. The Inbox simply acts like some kind of waiting room where emails wait to be executed. I merely add labels to make me get organized more. If I ever need something, there's always the search option which has not failed me yet.
Coming to a clean Inbox is just perfect for me. It is easy to achieve, too! To top it off, you can be oh so productive! Perfect.Labels: email, getting things done, how to, improvement, Monday Hacks, productivity, time management, tips, work, work at home |
| posted by Ann @ 5:00 PM
|
|
|
|
| Monday, May 12, 2008 |
| Monday Hacks: RescueTime rescues MY Time |
 I am a busy person. I don't deny the fact that I do have a day job. On top of that, I have other stuff going on. I have tried to manage everything carefully, but not as much as I would like to. But I've found something good for those of you, like me, who are all too fond of multitasking.
I think I've established in the past that multitasking is a bad thing for EVERYBODY. Okay, perhaps not all the time. But if you're anything like me, you'd probably try to multitask every single opportunity you get your hands into. All in the name of getting things done. But as I said, it doesn't exactly get much done is it?
So here is something I heard of from Alfa Mercado (a blogger friend I met online in 2004). RescueTime helps nut cases like me manage our time through collecting data, break times, and even those 2 minute sneaks to check our email. Oh yes, it even catches that. It is a definite eye opener. At least, at some point you get the drift of how productive you've been, or how productive you think you've been.
To top things off, RescueTime is relatively light so you barely notice that it's there! Pretty cool. I recommend those stay-at-home mommies to give it a try. It could help you manage your time better, too. As for me? I still have a lot of rescuing to go! :)
Cheers!
Photo: GettyImages
Photo Host: ImageShackLabels: Monday Hacks, multitasking, productivity, time management, work, work at home |
| posted by Ann @ 11:59 AM
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, May 3, 2008 |
| Blogger BUZZ: Scheduled Posts |
Oh, goodie!! I just could not contain my happiness when I noticed this announcement at Blogger BUZZ. I know I should have noticed this yesterday, but I didn't - so there!
What is this all about? Blogger can now publish your posts without you pushing the "Publish" button. Soooo cool! It's like this feature with some email clients which allows the user to send the email at a later date, or something. While that is an email client feature, this one pretty much has the same concept.
What you do is, you write your articles, posts, meme, whatever and then you save it. There are post options below the WYSIWYG for you to indicate when you want the post to be published, or if you simply want to save it in draft. It indicates the time, too!!
Incredible function allows people to save massive amounts of posts and set them on schedule. That way, even if you are out in the jungle wrestling gorillas, or under the Tuscan sun, or wherever, you are not neglecting your money making blog! UBER cool right?! Well, I think so. :D
I am trying it right now. I know it will work perfectly as it has already gone through the testing phase. No decent programmer launches something without going through a thorough test. Anyway, as I write this, it is 11:34 A.M. I am setting my timer to post at 2:15 P.M. - according to my schedule, I should be gallivanting around town at that time. Boo yah!!!
WTG, Blogger!! ;)
Labels: Blogger, blogging, blogs, good finds, how to, improvement, productivity |
| posted by Ann @ 2:15 PM
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, April 20, 2008 |
| To Multitask, or NOT to Multitask, That is THE Question |
Almost immediately after the Multitasking post I placed hours ago, I received feedback from one of my loyal lurkers. She asks, "If I don't multitask, how can I read what you write?..."
Well, I did find tools for minimizing multitasking and some tips which I think it would be a good thing if I shared it with those who are interested as well. But I am still compiling them as of the moment. I would not want to give a half-filled list of things I use or things I found. Besides, I would not be practicing what I preach, per se, if I did not try these things out first. Who knows? My Jurassic PC might die on me while I try them out, so at least it would happen to me before it happened to you! Right?
But anyway, I can give an answer to dear miss deranged palmist, and that would be to pencil me in your tight schedule. :) One thing a writer online I look up wrote regarding his schedule is that he spares a couple of minutes reading his subscriptions or browsing. After that, it would be a couple of hours before he squeezes it in again. Pretty nifty considering that he doesnt have to keep hitting "Alt-Tab" and trying to keep up with recent posts as soon as it hits the newstands.
Like checking emails. If you try practicing the checking once before starting work, and again during breaks, and then again at night, then productivity would be on your side. In this regard, one could also filter mail so that the important mails would be the ones visible right away. And you could just check the other folders later on.
There is so MUCH one could do to minimize multitasking and in turn be a very productive worker. It just needs a little patience and habit formation to do the trick.
I am on my way there, too. But I sure know the answer to the question on my title. Of course it is, NOT to multitask. I challenge you, too! :)
Labels: multitasking, opinion, productivity |
| posted by Ann @ 12:00 AM
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, April 19, 2008 |
| Stop Multitasking, Start Getting Things Done the Right Way |
Multitasking: Good or Bad?
If there is one thing women are most noted for, I believe it would be the mastery of the art of multitasking. Multitasking somehow integrates itself into the lives of women making them super human beings in the process.
One great example of this comes from a story from a guy colleague of mine while we were on the topic of S.O.P. (s3x on phon3). He said that he saw something about a woman and a man doing S.O.P. After a closer look, it showed how the woman, while engaging in the said task, was also ironing clothes as well! A classic case of great woman multitasking.
Although admittedly, it is not just women who master multitasking. These days, everybody pretty much knows how to multitask. And they are pretty good, too! With the continuous development of technology and all the things in this world, there seems to be so many things that one can do in just a couple of minutes. For example, checking your emails while chatting, while browsing some social networking website, while doing research for something, while balancing a baby being on the lap while feeding him or her, and singing. What?? You don't think that's possible? Of course, I know this to be true. I am THAT person in question. And I think it is just wrong. That is why I am trying to change it.
Though it seems like a great way to get a lot of things done, at the end of the day, I feel like I have been dragged through every room of the house. That happens on most days. There are days, though, that I don't feel too tired. Perhaps my body has adjusted to the multitasking.
One thing at a time.
After all things considered, I realized that it is best to do just one thing at a time. That way, you can work your absolute best, and concentrate more on what is being done at hand. Scheduling the things that must be done is indeed a good idea. I am trying real hard to do this. Somehow, I find myself almost always short of time. And then these would be the moments where I wish I would be able to have 36 hours a day.
Doing things one at a time allows you to sort out your activities and plan them carefully. Something I need to do. It is most definitely going to be an uphill battle, but from the bottom of my heart, I think this is for the best. God knows, perhaps this is what I needed all alone.
Indeed, the great PoohBah knew a lot when he told me when I was a n00b that burn-out should be
Introducing GTD (Getting Things Done) by David Allen
Have you ever heard of GTD? I have. I've known about this for a year or so now, but I have never been able to put it into practice. I've read a lot about it, but procrastination is indeed a curse, and it has put my goal of learning this into the back seat. All the more that I need to learn it now.
So I renew my goal of learning GTD. I got the following from Wikipedia in hopes of sharing it with you, too. In case you're one dove-tailing person like moi. Read up about this more and let's see what happens. So anyway, here is the process of GTD, and a step towards organization (still under GTD).
Process
When processing a bucket, a strict workflow is followed:
* Start at the top.
* Deal with one item at a time.
* Never put anything back into 'in'.
* If an item requires action:
* Do it (if it takes less than two minutes), OR
* Delegate it, OR
* Defer it.
* If an item does not require action:
* File it for reference, OR
* Throw it away, OR
* Incubate it for possible action later.
If it takes under two minutes to do something, just do it immediately. The two-minute rule is a guideline, encompassing roughly the time it would take to defer the action formally.
Organize
Allen describes a suggested set of lists which can be used to keep track of items awaiting attention:
* Next actions — For every item requiring attention, decide what is the next action that can be physically taken on that item. For example, if the item is, "Write project report," the next action might be, "Email Fred for meeting minutes," or, "Call Mary to ask about report requirements." Though there may be many steps and actions required to complete the item, there will always be something that needs to be done first, and this step should be recorded in the next actions list. Preferably, these steps are organized by the context in which they can be done, such as "in the office," "by the phone," or "at the store."
* Projects — Every open loop in one's life or work which requires more than one physical action to achieve becomes a project. These projects are tracked and periodically reviewed to make sure that every project has a next action associated with it, and thus can be moved forward.
* Waiting for — When an action has been delegated to someone else, or when one is waiting for some external event before a project can be moved forward, this is tracked in the system and periodically checked to see if action is due, or a reminder needs to be sent.
* Someday/Maybe — Things to be done at some point, but not right now. Examples might be "learn Chinese," or, "take diving holiday."
So! Let's get this multitasking out of our system and embrace the Art of organizing and getting things done!!
Cheers!!!
Labels: getting things done, good finds, improvement, multitasking, opinion, personal matters, productivity, tips, women |
| posted by Ann @ 12:28 PM
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, April 15, 2008 |
| Going GTD (Getting Things Done): My schedule |
I am currently drafting a supposed schedule of mine that I want to adopt. I admit, I might not be as busy as I used to be, but that does not mean that I have nothing more to do.
My everyday schedule is really crazy, and I have things to do just out of the blue. If I had to put all activities in my Google calendar, it would pretty much be colorful. It sort of is crazy right now. But for the sake of getting my life in line and help me with all the things that I need to do, I thought of writing down my generic daily schedule in order to come up with a better one.
4:30-5:30 A.M. - Getting ready for work
6:00-10:25 A.M. - Work (sneak in breakfast somewhere)
10:25-11:25 A.M. - Break and extra surfing looking for topics
11:25-2:00 P.M. - Work
2:00-7:00 P.M. - Baby care and Motherhood (some Internet time can be sneaked in if I manage to wrestle hubby away from PC)
7:00-9:00 P.M. - Internet time (money making, blog posting, and among other things [hoping to extend time as per negotiation from hubby])
9:00-10:00 P.M. - Try to put baby boy to sleep, and not try to fall asleep in the process
10:00-... - Wifehood? ;)
I know...the schedule is WHACK! I need to fix it. There are so many things I want to pencil in during the course of my hectic days.. *sigh* I'll post what I want to do with it later.Labels: daily, getting things done, motherhood, personal matters, productivity, schedule, wifehood |
| posted by Ann @ 8:38 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
|
Name: Ann
Home: Philippines
About Me: even when she has fairy wings on, this girl is anything BUT dainty. perhaps the size, the weight, and the personality alone are just too much for her to be considered delicate, prim, proper, and refined. this girl with the mud smudged cheeks has been down on the ground one to many times. these times forced her to be tougher, smarter, and more savvy than she has ever been. perhaps she will always be, never dainty.
email me: neverdainty [at] gmail [dot] com
See my complete profile
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
|
| Over the River |
|
| Template by |
 |
|
