This document provides tips to improve productivity in 3 sentences or less per tip. It advises focusing on soft skills like time management, doing real work instead of just talking about ideas, evaluating if tasks are worthwhile and finding easier alternatives. It also warns against interruptions and recommends setting alone time without distractions, fixing meetings by keeping them short with clear agendas, and breaking large tasks into smaller units to feel a sense of accomplishment from quick wins.

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PRODUCTIVITY
Sk
Soft Skills
1
Tm
Time management
1

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LEARN THE CHEMISTRY OF SUCCESS

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Get Real
Stop speaking abstractions
Ideas are great - now DO
Do real stuff

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Reasons to Quit
Why are you DOING it?
What problem are you
solving?
Is it actually useful?
Are you adding value?
DO what really matters!

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Reasons to Quit
Is there easier way?
What could you be doing
instead?
Is it really worth it?
DO NOT throw good
time after bad work!

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Interruption
Interruption is the enemy of productivity

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Interruption
When do you get most of
your work done?
Interruption is NOT
collaboration
Get in the ALONE zone

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Alone zone
NO instant messages
NO phone calls
NO e-mails
NO meetings
NO social networks

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Meetings Are Toxic
Much talk, no action
Low information flaw
Drift off-subject easily
Vague agendas
One moron to ruin them all
One meeting leads to other

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How to Fix Meetings
If it takes 10 min, plan 10 min
Set timer. After it rings, it’s over
Less people is better
Clear agenda
Begin w/t problem, end w/t
solution

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Good Enough is FINE
Judo solutions - getting the
most out of doing the least
Do not show off, just DO
Turn good enough into
GREAT later

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Quick Wins
Momentum fuels motivation
Build momentum by getting
something done
Small victories are important

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Heroes Rise, Heroes Fall
Everybody is tempted to play
hero
Heroes also need fresh pair
of eyes
Quitting IS NOT failure

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Go to Sleep
If you do not sleep:
• stubbornness
• lack of creativity
• low morale
• irritability

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Your Estimates SUCK
Will take just ... days! Really?
Make an estimate and
multiply by 2 or 3
Break big things into smaller
Learn from the past

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Long Lists DO NOT Get Done
Smaller TO DO lists are better
Divide problems in smaller
units
Prioritize visually

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Make TINY Decisions
Big decisions are hard to
change
When you make tiny
decisions you can’t make big
mistakes
NO big penalty if you mess up
One decision a time

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Productivity Tools
The Hit List (Mac)
Things (Mac)
Dropbox
Evernote
MindJet

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What’s your take?

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