Simplicity and Productivity

I came across this article the other day about three steps to getting things done. The point of the article was the importance of simplifying our processes and tools in order to achieve better productivity. I certainly agree with that recommendation. Even though I seem to be constantly moving from one tool to another (at least compared to most people), I am always hesitant to do so as those moves always introduce a new level complexity into my productivity efforts - at least until I am back up to speed with the new tool. Back to the article, out of all the possible recommendations for improving productivity, the author chose three as the key to a simple productivity framework.


First, the author recommends something he calls "obligation scheduling". Based on the description, this sounds to me like putting all of your tasks on the calendar. Needless to say, with a long GTD background, this idea is anathema to me. If anything, I avoid putting items on the calendar unless there is some sort of hard deadline attached to it.

The closest I come to adding tasks to a calendar (outside of those with deadlines) is the creation of a weekly and/or daily list of tasks. However, I do not just add all the tasks that I expect/hope to complete in a week to the list - I limit it to just 3-5 must do or high priority tasks. These are basically the tasks that I think I need to complete during a week or day to reach the point where I feel I have accomplished what needs to be accomplished.

Since I implemented this limitation, I think a side benefit I've developed is a better job of anticipating tasks and completing things ahead of schedule. That was really a necessity if I was going to limit high priority actions to only 3-5 per week. I often have many more projects and demands than that in any given week, which means anticipating the workload 2-3 weeks ahead of time when possible.

If I do create a "schedule" for my tasks it is those rare times when I will actually block out time on my calendar to work on projects. When I do this I put an event on my calendar called "Project Work" for however long I plan to work uninterrupted and then set my availability as "not available". If I really need to be sure to focus, I might even go so far as to close my office door (one of the rare instances when I do that).

The second tip on the article is focused on "efficiency". The author does not really go into much about improving efficiency other than noting that it behooves us to try to shrink the amount of time needed to complete our tasks. The example given is for an individual who regularly meets with clients and needed to shorten meeting times in order to squeeze in more meetings or time for other work. The one problem I see with this tip is that it tends to be more applicable to people who have repeatable tasks. That is really the only way someone can build up a history of how long certain tasks take to then analyze and find ways to shorten them. I find in my work I often have a mix of repeating tasks and then those that are one-offs. Depending on the ratio, it may be hard to figure out ways to improve efficiency.

The final recommendation in the article has to do with "focus". This basically refers to staying on task and not letting distractions pull us away from our work. Two suggestions to help are given for this - eliminating potential distractions and using timers. As far as eliminating distractions, that basically entails silencing our phones, shutting down email, closing social media sites and just getting to work. On the timer side, the author recommends using something as simple as an egg timer to help keep yourself on task or using something called The Action Machine. Frankly, on the latter they have an 8-minute video on how to use the tool. Eight minutes! That does not seem simple to me. I recommend just using the Pomodoro Technique to get into a nice, focused rhythm of work.

So, three basic steps for increased productivity:

  • commitment to task completion
  • improving efficiency
  • eliminating distractions/improving focus

What do you think? Would those be your three most basic issues to improving productivity?

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