3 Productivity Concepts That Keep You Focused and On Track
Amy Kulisheck
November 1, 2022
As a Productivity Coach, I work with clients to identify or design tools and routines that will help them to get more of the RIGHT things done. We invest time and energy figuring out what those RIGHT things are, connecting them to values, and envisioning success. Once those important, values-driven activities are identified, the jigsaw puzzle, TETRIS-like work of figuring out how to fit it all in a day, week, or month takes over. That is when I look for ways to tame the overwhelm, organize the disparate, and maximize focus and mental energy. The following concepts form the foundation of how I make progress toward my goals while not losing sight of the smaller things that need to get done along the way.
Concept 1: Protect your time and focus with Batching
Work on tasks or activities that are inherently related, have shared inputs or dependencies, or require a similar mindset, energy, or type of focus to reduce transition time and task-switching.
Batching addresses the “invasive weed” types of work: Individually and initially, they seem harmless but without intentional boundaries or regular management (weeding), they insidiously crowd out everything else you planned or prioritized for your day. A sure sign these weeds have taken hold is when you feel like you’re treading water just trying to keep your head above water, or that you’re always playing “Whack-a-Mole” with no time to get to your “real” work. The most common of these “invasive weed” activities are emails and meetings. Email is not only distracting, but it allows other people’s priorities to overtake your own. Meetings require you to switch from working independently to collaboratively – a mindset that requires time and mental energy to successfully transition. By grouping your meetings together (allowing time for transit, as well as at least a minimal amount of time for preparation and reflection) you reduce the amount of time and energy dedicated to transition between those different types of work.
In summary, the benefits of batching are twofold:
Larger blocks of time are available for undistracted “deep work”.
You experience greater presence and efficiency for the batched work while you are working on it.
How to start BAtching
Step back and examine what is preventing you from getting to your “real work”. What is distracting you? Identify the common thread of how those distractions invade your day and devise a way to create barriers and boundaries that will allow you to give them the attention you choose to give them, rather than the attention they work to get from you.
Click here for specific tips on batching emails and meetings.
Concept 2: Use Chipping and Flashing to use the "margins" of your time effectively
Using the margins or “found time” throughout your day to make progress on languishing projects or knock out an ever-growing list of loos ends not only helps you get more done, but it also can help you clear your head as you transition between meetings or other activities that are on your schedule. Five minutes between meetings finding the files you need, reading an article, or importing a data set will likely set you up for a more productive day than scrolling a social media feed ever did! Cleaning your home office, sorting mail, sweeping floors, sorting your laundry … you get the picture.
Chipping
Tackle larger, time-consuming goals by taking one tiny step at a time to slowly and consistently reduce the amount of work ahead of you.
Chipping is helpful when you find yourself procrastinating, are unable to make progress, or keep waiting to “find the motivation” to get started on something. It is especially useful for larger more complex projects that linger because you feel like you never have a large enough block of time to complete the work from start to finish, or a clear enough schedule to dedicate the deep thought you tell yourself you need. A red flag that you have a “chip-worthy” project is that you get overwhelmed simply at the thought of it.
Chipping is useful because it combats the myth that action follows motivation. Motivation, in reality, is spurred by the momentum of action! When you accomplish even really small first steps to take on a project and acknowledge that progress as a WIN you give yourself a dose of dopamine because you are seeing yourself inch closer to the finish line. Those little bursts will help you re-orient to celebrate progress as well as completion and help you “find the motivation”!
How to start Chipping
On your to-do list, list the projects you’d like to like to see ANY progress or gain momentum.
Consider it “done” for the day if you’ve done ANYTHING towards its progress.
Be sure to add it to your next day's to-dos as well!
Click here for how to get started on Chipping Away at different types of projects.
Flashing
Identify and track small tasks (ones that take 5 minutes or less) that tend to pile up and contribute to your mental load and diminish your ability to focus on other, more significant projects and tasks.
Flashing is similar to Chipping in that it uses small pockets of time to be more productive. While Chipping takes larger projects and breaks them down; Flashing collects all the small tasks floating in your head and puts them on the ready for you to take action! Tasks especially suited for Flashing are ones that are so simple and straightforward, you may believe they don’t even merit putting on a list. However, because they aren’t on your list they aren’t on your radar. If they aren’t on your radar, they take FOREVER (if ever) to get done. And… because you don’t write them down, you expend A LOT of mental energy making sure you don’t forget them. Flashing works because it acknowledges these items are not in the same class as a lot of your other priorities; but they do need to get done – at some point.
The hidden risk of these small tasks is that when they stay rattling around in your head, it is more difficult for you to get into a state of flow or be fully present with whatever else you are doing. Perhaps even more detrimental, they can become your tools of procrastination at the very worst moments!
How to start Flashing
Create a separate list of “Flash Tasks” alongside your more formal "to-dos"
Keep the list close and add to it as things pop into your mind (you never know when you'll remember what you've forgotten about!)
Reference the list any time you need a brain break or have a small amount of "found time".
For larger amounts of found time or if you schedule a block of time to knock out as many as possible: Set a time and challenge yourself to see how many you can get done!
Click here for tips on how to identify your Flash Tasks and manage your list over time.
Concept 3: Make a “Waiting-on” list to give your brain a break
Document everything that you’re waiting on from someone on a single list. These may be responses, decisions, or some inputs to your work. This list allows you to release “remembering it” from your mental load.
This concept is different from the others in that it is less a way to approach what YOU need to do, and more about how to not lose sight of things you’re relying on OTHER PEOPLE to do. Similar to the Flash Tasks list, the real benefit is that you don’t need to expend mental energy trying to remember these things. Depending on the complexity of your work and life, you may want to track different types of items. For example, you may have one list of things that truly don’t have deadlines and others that require reminders at some point.
How to start your “waiting-on” list
As you send out your to-dos, create a complementary list of what you expect to get back. Include deadlines for when you want to circle back if necessary. Add to it continually and review it at least daily.
TIPS
No real additional tips here.
Simply keep a list of things that are temporarily in someone else’s hands
and don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Amy Kulisheck is a Productivity Coaching and owner of Stand Tall Coaching. She offers support to individuals who want to reign in the overwhelm of their lives (work, home, integration of the two) and achieve Joyful Productivity: to get more of the RIGHT things done and feel great every step of the way!
Click the “Schedule” button below to book a complimentary coaching session and see if she would be a good Joyful Productivity Partner for you!