Creating “triggers”: A simple way to improve your productivity

As human beings, we are often guilty of forgetting important tasks and failing to follow through on our plans, no matter how motivated we may feel. We may have all the tools and resources we need at our disposal, but what we lack is a trigger that tells us when and how to use them.

In contrast, the world of coding has an excellent way of dealing with this problem through the “if X, then Y” statement, which triggers an action when a specific event occurs.

But why should this principle be limited to coding? What can we learn from this?

Creating triggers for ourselves can help us stay on track and improve our productivity. In this post, we’ll explore how you can create triggers for yourself and some of the benefits they can provide.

To begin with, let’s take a look at an example from the business world.

Suppose you want to streamline your workflow and reduce the time it takes to complete a project. You might invest in new machines, install software, or create processes that are meant to help you achieve this goal.

However, without a trigger that tells you when and how to use these tools, you may find yourself no more productive than before.

One technique that has been helpful for me is to create recurring tasks in a calendar. For each task, I link to a document (a spreadsheet in my case) outlining the process and a Trello board with micro-tasks or helpful material for that task. This way, you always know what to do, when to do it, and how long it will take.

For example, let’s say you are a content creator who wants to publish a video on YouTube every week. By creating a trigger in the form of a recurring task in your calendar, you can ensure that you always know what you need to do and when you need to do it.

(This is how I’ve managed to publish a video to YouTube for 102 weeks straight.)

You can create a checklist of tasks that need to be done each week and use it to keep yourself on track. In my case, one tasks is called “script 4 tutorials” and one is called “record 4 tutorials”.

💡 Tip: Bulk-producing content can help you decrease the time you spend doing each task and prevent you from shifting focus between different types of tasks all the time.

Using triggers has other benefits too. For one thing, they help you develop good habits by making it easier to stick to a routine. They can also help you become more mindful of your actions by forcing you to think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

In conclusion, creating triggers for yourself can be an excellent way to improve your productivity and stay on track with your goals.

By using a calendar, checklists, and other tools, you can create a system that works for you and ensures that you never forget an important task again.

So, what type of triggers do you use to get things done?

Thanks for reading, keep learning, and have a great day! 😃

3 of my other stories that might interest you:

📖️ I think I just figured out life 🤯 📖️ 5 tips for making money on YouTube (How to get started today!) 📖️ 25 things I learned during my first year as a Video Editor

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