48 Minutes To Being Productive
Any Digital Clock Will Do
Can 48 minutes make a difference in your day? I’m willing to bet it can. Why do I ask? Because sometimes, we just need to force ourselves to focus to get through a tough project and quit procrastinating. A year or so ago, I went to the local discount store and picked up a digital timer with the large numbers similar to the one at left. I placed it on my desk and set the timer to countdown 48 minutes. After hitting the “start” key, I began work on a project I had been delaying simply because I didn’t want to do it. After the 48 minutes expired, I was surprised at how much work I had gotten done. I took a twelve minute break to get a drink of water, stretch a bit outside, and walk up a few houses down and back. I then went back to my office for another 48 minute session and was pleasantly surprised when I completed the task before my time was up. In less than two hours, I had finished something I had put off for weeks.
Sometimes, our minds get the better of us and we find other busy work to occupy us while that ugly task sits in the corner waiting to be completed. It’s not going away. We see it every day but just choose to turn our heads. I’ve found when these types of tasks now come up I simply need to plan 48 minutes to get it done. Many times, I can bundle tasks into segments that I can complete within this time frame. It’s amazing how much more productive I feel and how relaxing it is to get those things done you thought might take forever. Larger tasks might take more than one session and the key here is to take a break. The 48/12 rule of breaking up one hour (48 minutes on task and 12 for a break) works wonders to clear your head and keep your focus. Don’t skip this step or you will burn out!
Try it for yourself. Go to the store, pick up a timer (you can get them for under $10), plan a few tasks, and have at it. You might be pleasantly surprised at the “Power of 48″.
Being Productive With Just A Sheet Of Paper
When PDA’s were all the rage several years ago, I never could quite get into having one. Oh, I thought the idea was cool but they were just too pricey and the idea of carrying it around gave me nightmares about dropping it, getting it wet, or misplacing it. I finally relented a few years ago when a friend of mine gave me his old black and white PALM but I only used it for a few months before deciding to sell it on Craig’s List for $35.
Managing information doesn’t have to be so labor intensive. Take, for example, the simplicity offered by the “PocketMod” organizer.
The PocketMod is an organizer that is prepared with a single sheet of paper. A little folding and cutting is required (An instructional video on the site gets you started) but after a few times, you won’t need those anymore.
You can create the pages that you need most at their site or even take it a step farther and custom design templates (I’ve never done that) if you wish. The process is simple. Go to the site and enter the template area. From there, pick out what you need from their drag and drop menus. Organize the pages in any order you wish and then print it out, fold it, cut it, and you’re done. The process takes a few minutes at the beginning and seconds each day if you use one daily. Templates include the standard calendars, weekly notes, daily plans, eating plans, checkbook register, and appointment calendars. Other templates includes games like dots, sudoku, and tic-tac-toe while still others are designed for goal setting. You can craft them however you wish. I will warn you though, it does get addictive trying to find the perfect mix.
With a PocketMod, you can have a disposable, take-it-with-you, planner that you can easily transfer information from into your digital tools during the day. If you lose it, no big deal. If you drop it or get it wet, who cares! You don’t have to worry about sitting on it. Just stuff it in your pocket and get on with your day.
Who would have thought that a single piece of paper could be so efficient!
Enjoy.
Paper Based Productivity
Are you looking for a way to get better organized but are not fond of the latest tech gadgets? Perhaps you’ve been using a variety of methods to stay organized but that pile of scrap paper in your pocket just keeps increasing. I’ve been there. I use some tech gear but really, when I want to remember something, the best way is to write it down but what’s the best way to file it? There are many different ways and no shortage of web sites willing to help. Today, I want to share one of those with you that I think is quite helpful and provides a system you might just want to try.
It’s called “GTD+R” and its inventor is a man by the name of Kenji Ohta (seen below). Ohta’s system is 
based off the best selling book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. The “+R” part of the system includes the “Rhodia” paper pads that Ohta uses to manage his system. In short, you use a notepad to write down your tasks, file them in “pockets” and then keep a daily “pocket” with you with the tasks you’ve included for the day. The pocket has a back side that’s labeled “inbox” for you to use to write down any tasks that come to you during the day. It’s not all that complex and Ohta’s site gives you the templates you need to print out to get started using the system today.
One thing I like about Ohta’s site is that it’s to the point, descriptive, and easy to navigate. Ohta includes all templates, instructional videos, and a complete user’s guide all available for a free download. I appreciate his willingness to share. A quick search of the web will bring up links showing Ohta using his system in seminars in his native Japan. I watched a Japanese slide show he put together introducing the system to others. GTD+R has enough structure to keep you organized but it’s simple enough that anyone can pick it up within a few minutes or trying it out.
I’m a personal fan of the Rhodia notebooks Ohta uses and that’s how I found his site in the first place. I drive to Boulder to pick these up in bulk since no other office store carries them in Denver. However, you can use any notebook you like. The important thing is to write stuff down as it comes to you so you don’t have to remember it later.
If you are interested in trying out Ohta’s system, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. It’s a good way to keep things in the forefront of your mind so you can be more productive and have more time for friends and family. Try it and let me know if it works for you.
Friday Blog Roundup - June 20
As the weekend approaches, it’s time for another set of links to blog posts that have been worthwhile reads for me. I hope you enjoy some of these…
FREE STUFF! That’s right. I’ll start with a free download. Seth Godin is making available a friend’s ebook for a free download. This is pretty cool and the book, dealing with word of mouth marketing, has been a good read so far. I believe the ebook freebies will change the way publishers market their works in the future.
More clutter removal! I am seeking to simplify my life by getting rid of many items I no longer need. Susan Sabo gives some tips on how to “Equalize The Amount of Things You Keep”. Great post.
Another post from Seth Godin. This time it’s his thoughts about the Amazon Kindle which by the way just dropped in price by $40 last night. I recently took the plunge and purchased a Sony Reader. I’ll post more on that in the weeks ahead.
Lorie Marrero has written another nice article for the “Lifehack” blog on how to be greener and more productive with your printer. I don’t use mine as much as in the past but still, it helps to save money and resources when you do.
And finally….
Bob Hyatt links to two online backup sites for backing up your important materials. Bob’s right on in his thoughts. Too many times, I leave sermon materials, notes, small group lessons, etc. on my hard drive and not somewhere where I can find it. I’ve used the X-drive link he mentions and my experience with them has been great.
That’s it for this week. May God give you a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you again on Monday.
Stoplight Email Proficiency
communications staple for our lives. A decade ago, would you have ended a conversation with someone in the grocery store by asking them to email you later? I know I didn’t. We may have exchanged phone numbers, a street address, or perhaps made future plans but today, email communication is a vital tool in our lives. There are many reasons for this including:
- It’s instantaneous. Messages arrive immediately.
- It’s brief. You don’t have to get caught up in long phone calls or conversations.
- It’s convenient. You don’t have to worry about running to the post office or putting a stamp on a letter and then leaving it in your car for days trying to remember to drop it in the mailbox.
The problem today is that we get inundated with email. We have to sort out the “junk” that’s sent out by spammers, forwards from your well meaning friends, or advertisements from companies that you deal with online. If your inbox is like mine was, it’s cluttered with an assortment of old emails you want to keep, current messages you need to respond to, and messages you haven’t even had the chance to review yet. What stress! Before long, I had over one hundred messages taking up space in my inbox with more coming every day. Something had to be done. What follows is a simple system I use for keeping my inbox empty at all times. You read that correctly. EMPTY. It’s a system I use that incorporates the metaphor of a stoplight for sorting through every message you receive and tracking them efficiently for future execution.
Here’s what you need to do to get started…
1. Set up your email program of choice with a minimum of four new folders for filing emails. Depending on your email program, you may have the the option of color labeling (as in Gmail by Google).
2. Once you have your folders, you will name them “Red”, “Green”, “Yellow”, and “Reference”. If you have color labeling, now is the time to label them appropriately. Google doesn’t have yellow as a label color but their burnt orange works nicely for the yellow folder.
That’s it! Now, all that’s left is to sort through your inbox once and keep it empty thereafter. How do you do this? Well, here is how the metaphor of the stoplight works in sorting through your emails:
The “Red” folder is for all emails that need to be acted on quickly. Immediacy is the key here. Red means STOP. Stop what you’re doing and check this out. For me, this includes such things as emails regarding reports I have due, bills that need paid, a note from my wife to pick up something for dinner this evening! Anything that requires immediate action needs to be put in this folder.
The “Green” folder should be your main action folder. This is where all of your emails that require action, but not immediate action, should go. Green means GO and items in this folder are items that will help you achieve your long range goals, move projects ahead, and help you keep things moving so that you do not have to have too many red items. Green items are where you should spend the majority of your time when executing emails. Green items can become red items if you procrastinate on them for too long so get them out of the way early!
The “Yellow” folder should contain any emails that have action value to you but are items that can wait if need be. Yellow means CAUTION and items in this folder can become time wasters when other green and red items need your attention first. It’s not that they are meaningless items but yellow items have the ability to be put off until you have some spare time to address them.
My “Reference” folder is colored blue in my email program and contains all of the emails I may need to hang on to for future delegation, receipts, etc. Anything you may want to recall quickly should be put here. One caveat: This folder can accumulate quickly so it’s best to get into the routine of checking it at least every sixty days or so and clear out anything that no longer has value. Another take on this folder is that you can divide it into your personal and work files. For my use, I have a reference folder for my personal items and one that’s tagged with my church initials so I can place church related reference items in their places. The idea though is to simplify. Fewer folders keeps it manageable and easy to find what you need when you need it.
So how does this look in practice? I usually check my email twice a day, sometimes three times but each time I process my inbox I use this system. Here’s a hypothetical email inbox I will see on any given day:
My inbox contains twelve items, five of which are fowards from others. A couple of these are from people I trust so I may give them a casual glance. If any are worth hanging on to, I file them in reference. In this scenario, there are none so these five forwards now go bye-bye in the trash. Now I’m down to seven items.
Two of the emails are notices from companies I deal with. One is a bill and the other a coupon for a free coffee beverage (always a good item!). I file the bill in my “Red” folder and the coupon in the “Reference” folder. Five items left. First is a note from my son’s band teacher about an end of the year concert for the band. I calendar the date and time on my Google Calendar and also make a note to pick up some two-liter bottles of soda as he has requested parents to bring. I send a quick reply acknowledging the note and then delete it. Next up, a note from a friend asking me about a sermon series I preached a while back. He wants to review my ideas for a potential series in six months. I place this in my “Yellow” folder and move on. Next, I have a receipt for a video rental my wife placed a few days ago. I put this in my personal reference folder for later processing. The last two items are from my daughter asking about homework help for some testing she is doing. I calendar some times for her and send her a reply so she’ll calendar them as well. And that’s it! All items sorted, inbox empty, and easily traceable when I need them. The stoplight metaphor works beautifully.
With this system in place, it’s easy for me to track any executable items for me to place on my daily calendar. As part of my planning routine, I check the folders early in the morning and place any items from them in my calendar as I arrange my day. When they are complete, I can go back and delete them from their folders. It’s one component of my daily action planning but for email efficiency, it works great for me. If you have questions, feel free to ask and I’ll try to answer as quickly as possible.
Have fun cleaning out your inbox today!
