REDUCE PROCRASTINATION I PRODUCTIVITY SIMPLIFIED
You Can Get Rid of Distractions with These 4 Simple Steps
Action will destroy your procrastination and skyrocket your productivity
I have spent many hours reading self-help books and interviewing productivity experts to enhance my daily routine.
But I discovered that having a solid organizational system is essential to being highly productive and reducing distractions.
Please note that you can use this system even on a piece of paper, although I am using a few digital apps that have made me more efficient.
Here is my 4-step process that keeps me productive and is the key to success.
1. Jot down to remember.
First and foremost, I need to write down all my tasks, to-do’s, and ideas so I don’t forget them. Thanks to David Allen’s methodology described in ‘Getting Things Done.’
“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” — David Allen
You may perform this action on a piece of paper, but I have been using the app Things or Evernote on my Mac and iOS.
2. Prioritize & categorize.
The next step is categorizing all these tasks into four different buckets — Important and Urgent, Important and Not Urgent, Urgent and Not Important, and finally, Not Urgent and Not Important.
I take appropriate action for each task described in the above image — Do, Decide, Delegate, or Delete.
I adopted this methodology from the Eisenhower Matrix (as shown above) and performed this step 5 minutes before bed.
You may do this on paper, but I have created a template on my productivity app, Evernote.
3. Time The Tasks.
Using the Eisenhower matrix, I ensure I put down the approximate time each task will take. My thumb rule is:
- Finish the job right away if it takes 15 minutes or less.
- Use the calendar blocking method if the task effort ranges between 15 minutes to a few hours.
4. Start your work and complete it.
Yes, you guessed it right!
Start the work and make an effort to finish your task or an assignment within the stipulated time frame.
Whenever I procrastinate, I use the Pomodoro technique to focus on ‘one specific project’ and finish it.
Final thoughts.
Productive people have a system for accomplishing their goals.
But, you can’t be effective unless you have a plan, a method, a process, whatever you want to call it.
You have a way of doing things.
Everyone uses a system. Some individuals create a strategy. Conversely, some individuals learn how to use a system.
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