Ways to Boost Productivity

[Ringo So]

Hi everyone,

I'm sure everyone have had times when they were completely overwhelmed with the workload in front of them and you have no idea where to start. I want to see if everyone can chip in a few results-driven tips for boosting productivity.

1) maintain a clean working laptop - if you have a work-only laptop. keep it that way. if not then make sure your records are neatly organized. uninstall useless programs in your control panel. make sure your anti-virus is up to date. a clean and fast laptop will save you lots and lots of time. and also spare you the heartache over crashes and lost work.

2) keep an agenda - with the amount of gadgets out there, nothing is really as solid as the old fashion agenda. you'll be VERY surprised what this one little tool will do you for you. if you insist on using your gadgets then MAKE SURE you know the functions in and out. and fully utilize it to its maximum capacity. learn your iPhone and BlackBerry apps to stay organized!

3) mastering Outlook + other applications - extremely useful application. schedules, reminders, emails, contacts all in one. if you use some kind of POP3 type email, switch to Outlook!

- FREE and VERY USEFUL APPLICATIONS:
Open Office: (if you don't want to pay for MS Office)
http://www.openoffice.org/
Essential PIM (Personal Info Mgmt):
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,62585/description.html
Simple Stickies:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,79362/description.html

4) buy a dry-erase board - combined with your agenda, you will have short and long term tasks all organized. useful in so many many ways. you can pick one up at the dollar store or the better ones for ~$8.

5) keep your working area clean! - organize your mail, documents, folders! a clean desk is also always a sign of solid work ethics!

Finally I will recommend 33 Rules to Boost Your Productivity:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/05/33-rules-to-boost-your-productivity/


If you got any other good ones, please feel free to share!

[Kevin Lee]

Hi Ringo,

I like to just write out a short list of "things to do today" and then work towards accomplishing those items. It would probably take up too much time to go back and "organize" my emails and hard copies of work/etc.

While I know it sounds bad, I also have a tendency to wait until the last minute (or near deadlines) to work on things just to feed off of that "sense of urgency". For example, back in undergrad, one could spend 2-3 weeks working on a paper, which was a waste of time... instead if you worked on that same 10-12 page essay the night before, you could get it done in less than 6 hours

[Ringo So]

Hi Kevin,

Some people do work a lot better while under pressure. I was definitely guilty of the disorganization and procrastination during my undergrad.

However, I found that by keeping all my work very organized and properly scheduled,
I could shoulder a much larger workload, deal with unexpected changes and be more thorough with the end product.

For example, I did spend actually 6 weeks writing my seminar paper, while some of my
peers pumped theirs out in a couple of days. But since I had spared the time, all the data collected and readily organized, I was able to spend a lot more time to refine and build a more comprehensive model.

In all, everyone has different approaches, but having a few tools here and there never hurt


P.S. With regards to what you said about sorting your email. Xobni is an Outlook addon that automatically sorts/index all your emails between contacts! Give it a try! (www.xobni.com)

[Sharmeen]

In addition to all of the above mentioned tactics to boost productivity. Here are some methods that have, as per the users, generated results.

I agree that everyone has their own methods of time-management, whether it be organized chaos or checking off lists. However, almost everyone has wished for MORE time and MORE hours in the day to makes things right!

It might not be possible to materialize a time machine or will for that 25th hour in the day but a shot at these time-management methods could seemingly prove otherwise?

I haven't personally tested these out but what I've learned is pretty obvious and that it takes time to make time. What I mean by that is the set-up and mental prep is what makes or breaks a good (or any) time management technique.

"No Time to Read This? Read This"
Columnist Sue Shellenbarger reviews three systems (GTD - Getting Things Done, The Pomodoro Technique, Franklin Covey's Focus) that claim to help users get organized and increase their productivity.
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB10001424052748704538404574541590534797908.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

[Ringo So]

it takes time to make time. What I mean by that is the set-up and mental prep is what makes or breaks a good (or any) time management technique.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I found these techniques and other heuristics made use of the "in between time" that often gets lost.

Goldman Sachs and top firms employees are almost maximizing the efficiency of their time.
GS took that part out of their career section, but here's a good example of an IB Analyst's day:
http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/i ... worst-day/

Good work ethics don't come in a day either.

[Ryann]

Finally I will recommend 33 Rules to Boost Your Productivity:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/0 ... ductivity/

I absolutely love Steve Pavlina. He used to be a troubled kid who ended up in jail for robbery. He really turned his life around, and now he's rehabilitating people who just need a little push of motivation and inspiration. Check out other articles on this website and his book "Personal Development for Smart People".

Ryann

[bradedvin]

1. Give Employees More Than a Paycheck
2. Provide Better eSupport Channels to Promote Self-Service
3. Complete your most dreaded tasks first thing in the morning.
4. Outsource as much as possible
5. . Turn off the TV.

[AneshiaYS]

5) keep your working area clean! - organize your mail, documents, folders! a clean desk is also always a sign of solid work ethics!

Finally I will recommend 33 Rules to Boost Your Productivity:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/05/33-rules-to-boost-your-productivity/


If you got any other good ones, please feel free to share!

I have found that I can't think in a cluttered environment at all. It's like all of my ideas get stifled. The creative process comes to a halt.

Aneshia