Comments on: Ask the Readers: Best Off-the-wall Productivity Tips? http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/ Simple Productivity Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:06:07 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rick Sharon http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-39985 Rick Sharon Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:52:04 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-39985 When leading a team, peer pressure can yield great productivity e.g. "white board scheduling". Many years ago I was leading a team of software developers. We received a hot project that required we work around the clock over a weekend, to develop the product ASAP. We commandeered a conference room to be our "war room". We mapped out a highly modular design on the white board. I did NOT assign components to anyone, I asked each team member to pick 2-3 software modules. I asked everyone to do their development in the shared team libraries so everybody else could review their work and see the interdependencies. I told everyone when they finished the components they picked, or they hit a lull in the action (e.g. waiting on resources or program runs), come sign up for a few more modules. Everybody could see what everyone else was working on, could see how fast everyone else was working, and as a matter of pride each team member wanted to outdo their peers -- they wanted to develop the most components with the fewest problems. Competitive pride is a powerful motivator. That project was one of the most efficient ones I've worked on. When leading a team, peer pressure can yield great productivity e.g. “white board scheduling”. Many years ago I was leading a team of software developers. We received a hot project that required we work around the clock over a weekend, to develop the product ASAP. We commandeered a conference room to be our “war room”. We mapped out a highly modular design on the white board. I did NOT assign components to anyone, I asked each team member to pick 2-3 software modules. I asked everyone to do their development in the shared team libraries so everybody else could review their work and see the interdependencies. I told everyone when they finished the components they picked, or they hit a lull in the action (e.g. waiting on resources or program runs), come sign up for a few more modules. Everybody could see what everyone else was working on, could see how fast everyone else was working, and as a matter of pride each team member wanted to outdo their peers — they wanted to develop the most components with the fewest problems. Competitive pride is a powerful motivator. That project was one of the most efficient ones I’ve worked on.

]]> By: Steve http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-39278 Steve Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:56:25 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-39278 Don't laugh, but the most valuable thing I ever learned, a trick that got me a PhD and all sorts of other stuff I wanted to accomplish, was learning how to quit. And I mean learning how to force myself give up. Once I learned to fail in the short term, I succeeded in the long term. Talk about counterintuitive! Specifically, I learned that there are times when to continue to struggle and push was not hard work, it was digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole of self-recrimination and self blame. I learned that sometimes to affirmatively and purposefully decide to give up protected my ego and kept me strong for another day to try again. This works best for long term projects Society reveres the Churchillian "Never give up. Never give up." I say: Give up. Give up. Don’t laugh, but the most valuable thing I ever learned, a trick that got me a PhD and all sorts of other stuff I wanted to accomplish, was learning how to quit. And I mean learning how to force myself give up. Once I learned to fail in the short term, I succeeded in the long term.

Talk about counterintuitive!

Specifically, I learned that there are times when to continue to struggle and push was not hard work, it was digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole of self-recrimination and self blame.

I learned that sometimes to affirmatively and purposefully decide to give up protected my ego and kept me strong for another day to try again. This works best for long term projects

Society reveres the Churchillian “Never give up. Never give up.”

I say: Give up. Give up.

]]> By: Best off the wall productivity tips from Zen Habits | AppleQuack.com http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-39096 Best off the wall productivity tips from Zen Habits | AppleQuack.com Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:39:12 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-39096 [...] original productivity hacks. The answers were fascinating and worth sharing. I recommend you read all the suggestions, but here are some of my favourites, which I think really stack up for medicos and those struggling [...] [...] original productivity hacks. The answers were fascinating and worth sharing. I recommend you read all the suggestions, but here are some of my favourites, which I think really stack up for medicos and those struggling [...]

]]> By: Boreale http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-39075 Boreale Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:23:00 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-39075 Forget the TV ! Give it to anybody else and begin to live. Forget the TV ! Give it to anybody else and begin to live.

]]> By: Brett http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-38945 Brett Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:46:26 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-38945 I am a new person to zenhabits and the entire zen life style. In the past week I have been slowing myself down, trying not to rush through life, and focusing on one task at a time. This little change has improved my productivity, not that I am turning work out faster, or getting projects done quicker, I am not doing them two or three times, they are getting done in one pass. By concentrating on the task at hand I have found that I get more done. Thanks for the blog, and my wife says thanks for helping me finally relax in life. Brett I am a new person to zenhabits and the entire zen life style. In the past week I have been slowing myself down, trying not to rush through life, and focusing on one task at a time. This little change has improved my productivity, not that I am turning work out faster, or getting projects done quicker, I am not doing them two or three times, they are getting done in one pass. By concentrating on the task at hand I have found that I get more done.

Thanks for the blog, and my wife says thanks for helping me finally relax in life.

Brett

]]> By: Doc Kane http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-38942 Doc Kane Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:17:59 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-38942 Hi Leo, I've been a lurker and "bookmarker" of your site for awhile now, and today, with this question, I think I found something I might be able to give back to you and the community that adds value as well. Last month on my blog I wrote a post entitled: "How the Music Industry Does It Right: Save time, generate ideas and profit, end cold calls, and safeguard your sanity!" about how setting call times and keeping people informed of them, serves as a tremendous boost to productivity. Since it seems okay to post links here, I'll post the link to the main blog below for any interested readers. So as not to disrupt your format with the permalink's length, the post was in May 2008, if anyone is reading this late in the game. Thanks for everything! Cheers, Doc http://roscommon.com/blog/ Hi Leo,

I’ve been a lurker and “bookmarker” of your site for awhile now, and today, with this question, I think I found something I might be able to give back to you and the community that adds value as well.

Last month on my blog I wrote a post entitled: “How the Music Industry Does It Right: Save time, generate ideas and profit, end cold calls, and safeguard your sanity!” about how setting call times and keeping people informed of them, serves as a tremendous boost to productivity.

Since it seems okay to post links here, I’ll post the link to the main blog below for any interested readers. So as not to disrupt your format with the permalink’s length, the post was in May 2008, if anyone is reading this late in the game. Thanks for everything! Cheers, Doc

http://roscommon.com/blog/

]]> By: Emily http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-38872 Emily Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:41:44 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-38872 Getting up and taking a little walk always helps, if anything it gets you up doing something and puts you into a state of mind where you have some momentum. Getting up and taking a little walk always helps, if anything it gets you up doing something and puts you into a state of mind where you have some momentum.

]]> By: WorknMan http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-38867 WorknMan Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:43:10 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-38867 How I read articles I find on the web: Copy and paste them into a text file, then run them through Opera's text-to-speech converter and have it record an mp3 file while I sleep. The next day, just copy the mp3 to my portable mp3 player and I've got something to listen to on the go. No more sitting in front of the computer to read articles and blogs! Note: To all you 'web 2.0' authors who are writing 200-word articles, splitting them up into 8 pages, and then either not providing a 'Print' button or doing your best to hide it, may you burn in hell forever :P How I read articles I find on the web:

Copy and paste them into a text file, then run them through Opera’s text-to-speech converter and have it record an mp3 file while I sleep. The next day, just copy the mp3 to my portable mp3 player and I’ve got something to listen to on the go. No more sitting in front of the computer to read articles and blogs!

Note: To all you ‘web 2.0′ authors who are writing 200-word articles, splitting them up into 8 pages, and then either not providing a ‘Print’ button or doing your best to hide it, may you burn in hell forever :P

]]> By: Virginia http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-38847 Virginia Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:06:21 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-38847 Have a baby! Running a business around the sleep-feed-play cycle of a baby really helps you chunk your work. Do the wages after the Monday morning feed; write the roster during Thursday afternoon's sleep; respond to email after 3am feed; get a bit of bookeeping in on Sunday. It's great until they're about 6 months old, don't stay where you put them and drop to 2 naps a day. My child's is in kindergarten 3 days a week now but I still use the work chunking method to get things done and keep my priorities straight (child first - invoices can wait until after bed). Have a baby! Running a business around the sleep-feed-play cycle of a baby really helps you chunk your work. Do the wages after the Monday morning feed; write the roster during Thursday afternoon’s sleep; respond to email after 3am feed; get a bit of bookeeping in on Sunday. It’s great until they’re about 6 months old, don’t stay where you put them and drop to 2 naps a day.

My child’s is in kindergarten 3 days a week now but I still use the work chunking method to get things done and keep my priorities straight (child first – invoices can wait until after bed).

]]> By: Pete http://zenhabits.net/2008/06/ask-the-readers-best-off-the-wall-productivity-tips/#comment-38843 Pete Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:42:23 +0000 http://zenhabits.net/?p=724#comment-38843 The best way to be productive is to concentrate on attaining all of the short term goals, and forget about the pressure of the long term goals. So for instance, if you want to be more productive at writing a book, the key is to attaining the short term goal of sitting and writing the idea on paper. Each day your goal is to write for a certain amount. Each day you must attain that goal, or the long term goal will never be reached. Staying consistent is the most important part. At least that is what I believe....check it out.... http://yinvsyang.com/the-secret-ingredient-to-everything-you-want-in-life/145/ The best way to be productive is to concentrate on attaining all of the short term goals, and forget about the pressure of the long term goals.

So for instance, if you want to be more productive at writing a book, the key is to attaining the short term goal of sitting and writing the idea on paper. Each day your goal is to write for a certain amount. Each day you must attain that goal, or the long term goal will never be reached.

Staying consistent is the most important part. At least that is what I believe….check it out….

http://yinvsyang.com/the-secret-ingredient-to-everything-you-want-in-life/145/

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