4 Productivity Hacks from a Skeptic

This summer, I have been "finding my stride" when it comes to productivity. I have always been interested in productivity, and I have tried many productivity tools out over the years. I have read countless best practice articles and books, and I have attended seminars and watched videos to learn what has worked well for others. While I was a good listener and tried many of the recommendations, nothing stuck beyond a handful of days. I started feeling skeptical that anything new would actually work.

Thankfully, by far, nothing has proven as helpful as the combination I have up-and-running now.

So, why has this time been different? I picked what I selected for this summer by closely observing my daily habits, monitoring how my time was actually spent, and recording my associated mood with each activity. I also started recording my specific frustrations with my day's tasks and productivity levels. It was the first time I really "dug deep" to figure out what I was ready to change and why, and that process helped both in the implementation and sustainability of these changes.

Here's what I have been finding helpful:

(1) A strict productivity plug-in for my browser-- I only have 10 minutes of allowance on my favorite go-to websites between 9 am-5:30 pm (news, social media, shopping). I have been using StayFocusd, which shows me the visual above when I am at one second over my ten minutes.

Why this was helpful. Especially during this COVID-19 time, I was feeling the need to limit my access to distractions and news. While I have used some similar plug-ins before, I have found this one to be especially helpful because of its customizability (e.g., time/day of the week parameters, website lists) and its handy countdown and pop-up reminders.

(2) An auto-scheduler for meetings-- I have used Calend.ly in the past, but only for a month here and there for specific types of meetings (e.g., study abroad interviews). I am now starting to use it for most of my scheduling, especially when others are requesting the meeting (advising, consulting, coaching, proposals, etc.). Meetings automatically get put into my Google calendar with the other person copied as well, and Google calendar lets me do a one-click "Make it a Zoom meeting."

Why this was helpful. I noticed a lot of my frustration in the first weeks of the summer was connected to the number of back-and-forths for scheduling meetings. Calendly helped me outsource the task for some of my scheduling tasks (note: this only works in some scenarios, but it has helped me eliminate a sizable amount of emailing and scheduling.) It also allowed me to cluster my meetings to specific days of the week, which has been wonderful too.

(3) A good, old fashioned, to-do list (with a twist)-- First of all, I have never been a "list person," and I was not someone who "needed" to cross things off. Now, meet the list person who loves to cross things off.

Why this was helpful. So, what changed? I started organizing things based on my own habits and wants. For simplicity's sake, I have been using one notebook this summer for all of my meetings. I have found putting a box around my daily to-do list helps me to see it clearly. Also, I have been thinking more intentionally about (a) what needs to get done, (b) what is a quick or small win, and (c) what is more of a mental note. I also have been adding in what I actually did, even if not on the list, as a way to have a daily log of what I did and accomplished. Even better, I have been mindful not to judge myself when copying over remaining items to the subsequent days. Also, I paired this activity with the next one...

(4) A gratitude journal-- Yes, doing a daily gratitude journal has helped me stay productive too! I started this activity before the summer, but I was not always consistent with it. This summer, I paired it with my to-do list, and that pairing made both better, more satisfying, and more consistent. When I crossed something off my to-do list and wanted to update my gratitude journal as well, I realized my phone was in another room, so I looked at the piece of paper in front of me, and wrote the gratitude journal

Why this was helpful. Instead of my inconsistent electronic gratitude journal entries, I put a box next to my paper-based to-do list. It has allowed me to be more mindful of when I cross things off of my to-do list to think about how I felt about crossing that item off. If it felt like a "win," it would also go onto my daily gratitude box. Also, I am aware that my boxes sound like the lazy man's bullet journal; yes, point taken.

I am sincerely amazed at how these four things have helped. The reason why they all actually worked is that they not only were intentionally selected activities, but I did the preparation work to recognize why I was frustrated and ready to change.

But, now that the habits have stuck, I am ready to look at some new ways to optimize. What has worked for you, and why?