Some of the Best Productivity Advice I've ever Heard

Scott H. Young writes a wildy successful productivity blog and he has recently added a list of his best productivity articles. I personally find every article to be great but he has handpicked this list and who am I to argue with the master :)?

Productivity is a double-edged sword. Spend too much time getting organised (que the million notepads, computer list programs, website advice and the like) and you end up wasting valuable time. On the other hand, if you don't get your act together, you may not get the results you need or want.

I love Scott's ideas and have been following them this semester with considerable success at school so if you are a student or a lifelong learner, this place is excellent.

The best articles on the list deal not with the management of time, but with the management of energy. Due to Scott's constant advice, I have picked up a copy of "The Power of Full Engagement" by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz and the idea is that what we do with our energy is more important than how well we schedule our timetables and calendars. Here's his article.

The next great idea that really caught my eye is the idea of killing open loops. We all tend to start great sounding projects and assignments only to give up half way through and leave it open. Other things come up and we are left with this general sense of guilt whenever we see someone associated with our open loop or even glance at the corner of the room where that unfinished IKEA table lies. He tells us to define the problem well, commit to only what we can do and finally doing the thing we set out to do. You can read his article on open loops here.

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to doing what you have to do. You may totally enjoy the work you do or not. The important thing is to get the job done. You may grow to like the task once you gain mastery over it and how do you do that? Well, Scott's list is a great starting point.

I apologise for not writing for so long... School just started and it was a whirlwind month, this August :}. Until the next time, take care!