From the course: Productivity Tips: Finding Your Rhythm
Find your productivity rhythm
From the course: Productivity Tips: Finding Your Rhythm
Find your productivity rhythm
- Many people feel that in order to be productive, they need to be constantly in motion. They feel that they don't want to waste a single minute in their day. The reality though is that productivity is more about rhythm than perpetual motion. You can see this in professional athletes or musicians, they learn how to harness the power of rhythm to help them be more successful. Well you are a professional as well and you can find your own unique productivity rhythm. Here are a few areas for you to consider as you craft your own rhythm. First is your personal rhythm, meaning you as a person. We've heard the concept of people who are night people versus day people, but what about afternoon people or middle of the morning people? You want to think about the time of day where you are most productive, when you have the most energy and of course, start to schedule activities that are high value during that time. These are the best times to focus on your most valuable activities. Second, consider your work rhythm. Every type of business or organization has its down flow and rhythm. There are times of the day or week when customers are most likely to ask questions or when coworkers are most likely to ask you questions and want to collaborate. Take a look at the pattern of the days of the week and the times of the day when it comes to your work. Third, consider the frequency of interruptions that are taking place in your day. If at certain periods of the day you're going to have more interruptions, that means that you're going to have less focus. These periods of the day are best used on low value activities or activities that don't require a lot of attention. You can switch away from them and then switch back and it's not going to impact your productivity too much. Forth, consider the type of interruption that's taking place. You want to, as much as possible, switch from one like activity to another like activity. For instance, if I'm focusing on email and answering an email, switching to a new email isn't going to have that big of an impact. But if I'm doing something complex like programming and then someone interrupts me with a quick question, the cost of that interruption will be tremendous. Try to group similar activities together as you're creating your own productivity rhythm. Now that you have a basic understanding of the principles of finding your productivity rhythm, I invite you to watch this video one more time and as you go through it, make notes about what you think would work best for you. As you find your own productivity rhythm, you'll find that you're more productive and more focused.
Practice while you learn with exercise files
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Contents
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Find your productivity rhythm2m 55s
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(Locked)
Remove the "busy" tag2m 59s
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(Locked)
Establishing a productive daily routine2m 26s
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(Locked)
Leveraging the two most important hours of your day2m 40s
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(Locked)
Managing the rate of communication2m 27s
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(Locked)
Building transition time into your day2m 7s
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(Locked)
Making the most of extra time1m 58s
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(Locked)
Deal with emergencies2m 29s
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(Locked)
Track your daily activity2m 32s
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(Locked)
Make the most of your commute1m 59s
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(Locked)
Find your optimal break cycle2m 34s
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(Locked)
Maximize your energy each day2m 5s
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(Locked)
Managing time before and after vacations2m 35s
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(Locked)
Coordinate family schedules3m 36s
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(Locked)
Time management for parents2m 48s
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