You won’t fill your belly reading cookbooks. Likewise, you won’t kick your terrible time-wasting habits simply by reading productivity books. No, you actually have to act on some of the things suggested. Not just nod your head and say Ye gods! Great idea! I’m writing that down!
I have the requisite books–and bookmarked websites–to help me realize my more productive self:
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- The Bullet Journal by Ryder Carroll
- 43Folders by Merlin Mann (before it went kaput)
- Lifehacker – anything Lifehacker (not Lifehack… lord no. Big difference)
And still, bear witness to my folly: I’m here. Online. Doing the social media thing rather than getting real work done.
I get what it takes to be productive. When I actually follow through, I accomplish. Big time.
Take the Pomodoro Technique.
When I had a 9-5 office job, I knocked off six pomodoros in the morning, had lunch, then did another six before quittin’ time. I first tried the Pomodoro Technique out on my bedroom closet. An organizing task I’d dreaded for years ended up taking only five pomodoros. Five! You won’t understand the joy until you try it yourself.
It works. I know it works. Still. I. Waste. Time.
So yesterday, I chose not to disappear into my laptop to poke at various open-ended writing projects. Decided not to grab my phone and lose myself in Facebook, Words With Friends or Candy Crush Saga.
Instead, I opened up my Pomodoro app, started the timer and went to work. The 6-minute breaks between the 25-minute work blocks (Pomodoros) actually felt too long because I was eager to get back to the task at hand. At the end of the day, I had 12 pomodoros and my ‘to do’ list completed.
Before you raise your hands and shout Hallelujah, Sistah! this wasn’t a spontaneous conversion. Nope, I haven’t nipped time wasting in the bud. Don’t I wish. It’s an ongoing process. I’m working on it.
What do you struggle with on an ongoing basis? What mistake would you like to confront, correct, and leave behind in the past?
Own Up To Your Mistakes 