How to heal our smartphone-addled, overworked brains. By David Rock FORTUNE -- When cars first became popular 100 years ago, there were no road rules or speed limits to begin with.
Inspired by the freedom of their speedy new toys, drivers zoomed around as fast as they could. Crashes were a constant. Today's speedy new toys, the smartphone and tablet, help people work when, where, and how they want. Excited by their newfound freedom, people are staying connected 24/7, working as fast as they can. A creative team that used to debrief with their client by video once a week from the office is now on video daily from their tablets. Traveling at the speed of confusion. How To Be More Productive (Without Even Trying) In my life I have met quite a few hyper productive people.
They worked in fields as varied as advertising , academia, law, and banking. If there is one thing these very different characters all had in common, that is that they were all extremely passionate for what they were doing - even if the reasons underlying their passions were often quite different. The secret to productivity is no doubt working on something you enjoy - and in order to do that, you have to take certain risks, such as not doing what you don't enjoy. This seems like an easily avoidable scenraio, yet most people are trapped in careers they would not pick if they were given the choice again - and because they can be failry good at those things, they just keep going...
In the past couple of decades, business psychologists have been paying increasing attention to the so-called "high potential" employees (often just called "hi-po's"). Secrets of the Super-Productive. How to Be Ultra Productive — 10 Tips for Mastering Your Time Now. "Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. " – William Penn "Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose. " – Thomas Edison "It’s how we spend our time here and now, that really matters. How To Get Some Extra Work Time and Energy. How many times have you said to yourself, “I wish there were more time in the workday to get things done?”
Here are some simple techniques that can be used to help find that extra time and energy at work. Have a Plan (Set Goals ) In the same way that a successful company needs a business plan, it is important to have a personal work plan – a well-thought-out scheme to help guide and direct your work activities. The plan should consist of concrete and measurable goals, with a time frame for completing them.
However, rather than setting firm deadlines which can lead to pressure and stress , it is a good idea to have some flexibility. Four Ways to Find More Time. There is never enough time.
However, it is possible to find extra time if you are conscious about your judgment of time. A change in perception can give you a better sense of time. According to researchers Sanford Devoe and Julian House, thinking of time in terms of money shapes how we view time well spent . Devoe and House asked participants to take a period of time to enjoy music or putter around the Internet for pleasure. Before one group started, they were asked to share their hourly wage at work. Those who didn’t think about money enjoyed their time.
Creativity demands we have periods of time where we don’t think about work or problems. Defeat Depression and Procrastination Simultaneously. When you feel depressed, you suffer from a painful down mood.
You may withdraw from life, feel a profound sense of loneliness and worthlessness, and believe that life will continue in this way forever. How to Get More Done in Much Less Time. How to Get More Done in Much Less Time By Derek Franklin / Creator of The Action Machine If you give me just a few minutes of your time, I promise to deliver back to you much more in return.
In just a moment I'm going to reveal to you a simple system you can begin using right now (yes, I give you everything). Due Tomorrow. Do Tomorrow. The problem for some of us is that these mean the same thing.
I'll do it when it's due. Anyway, I'll feel more like doing it tomorrow. Well, at least that's what we want to believe. Ten Ways to Organize Your Time, Talents and Energy. I am always intrigued by humanity’s belief that at midnight on December 31 st a new year will begin and life will be different. Not only will it be different a myriad number of changes are going to be made simultaneously. Have you been unable to stop smoking , lose weight, give up coffee or start exercising? No problem: now you can achieve success across the board. Why? Are You Busy but Inefficient? How to Be Ultra Productive Now. 9 Reasons to Wake Up Early. As it is 9/9 today, I thought it would be good to revamp my earlier article about 9 Reasons to Wake Up Early.
Having good reasons to wake up and things to do is a half of success on the way to becoming an early riser. I hope that among the listed reasons you’ll find those that can light a burning desire within you. 17 Ways to Wake Up Feeling Fresh in the Morning. Okay so we know that waking up and doing things in the morning is the best way to achieve our goals in life.
We can exercise, study, work, meditate, etc. much better than other times in the day. However, most of us feel pretty crap in the morning. Power Napping for Increased Productivity, Stress Management and Health - Take a Power Nap - Power Nap and The Benefits of Sleep. Why A Power Nap?
Facts on Sleep: While small children typically take naps in the afternoon, our culture generally frowns upon mid-day sleep; however, even in those who get enough sleep (but particularly in those who don’t), many people experience a natural increase in drowsiness in the afternoon, about 8 hours after waking. And research shows that you can make yourself more alert, reduce stress, and improve cognitive functioning with a nap. Mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’, means more patience, less stress, better reaction time, increased learning, more efficiency, and better health. Take A Nap In The Afternoon. This tip may not work for all - some people just can't fall asleep quickly enough at day time. Give it a try and watch your body reaction. Studies show that 20 minutes of afternoon nap gives more rest to the body than 20 minutes of sleep in the morning. Use this powerful refreshing tool to get energized till the end of the day.
Best time to take a nap is midday, otherwise you risk to shift your sleeping pattern. It's recommended that you sleep for no more than 30 minutes, or you will feel drowsy after waking up. Alarm clocks are bad. How to wake up and feel better. Waking up abruptly by the sound of an alarm clock is an inherently unnatural thing to do. Sometimes you can wake up after 8 hours and feel like crap. Other times, you can wake up after 6 hours and feel completely rested. The problem lies in what you're doing when you're suddenly woken up from your slumber.
I use a very simple, safe, and free (as in beer) system that I think works quite well and is more natural than suddenly waking up to a buzzer. I don't drink coffee. Why Alarm Clocks Can Be Bad and How To Use Them in the Right Way. We continue our quest to find the best ways on how to wake yourself up early in the morning and do it consistently. If you search the web for "how to wake up early" or "alarm clocks" keywords combination you will definitely find Vincent Cheung’s article Alarm clocks are bad. How to wake up and feel better. This article has got almost 3,000 diggs and a number of links for a reason – it includes the trick on how to wake up early that Vincent has successfully used for years and now shares with the readers of his blog. Strike with Overwhelming Force. Here comes the king of all tips. How to Wake Up Early: 7 steps. Edit Article Retraining Your Sleep NeedsSleeping Better and Waking EasierEnsuring Top-Quality Sleep. How to Take a Study Break.
If you are anything like me, when studying for exams, you like to take breaks. However in recent years, due to the increasing use and prevalence of the internet, on demand media, and with my cell phone by my side, taking a “study break” has come to mean checking Facebook, Twitter, celebrity blogs, Gchat, etc… 10 Tips for Improving Concentration. Find Your Strong: 8 Ways to Perform at Your Best.
I love the phrase "Find Your Strong. " Why Productivity Won't Make You Happy. I’m a sucker for productivity tips, they give me hope. I think it’s a hangover from school days when each September you would see me equipped with a new set of notebooks and pencils, just dazzled by the promise of a fresh new start on success. Reading productivity blog posts is the virtual version of indulging my office products habit and closely related to my secret guilty pleasure — “Organizing Porn” — but that’s the subject of another post.
More things, more quickly. 10 Weekly Ten Minute Practices to Boost Work Productivity. Let’s face it: You can’t overhaul your personal efficiency overnight. You can, however, boost work productivity over time by adopting one or more of these weekly 10-minute practices. Avoid Distractions! Now! How can we more effectively avoid short-term temptations to achieve long-term goals ? Two leading researchers argue that framing our goals with "width" and "consistency" makes a big difference. Ayelet Fishbach (University of Chicago) and Benjamin Converse (University of Virginia) argue that the necessary first step to overcoming temptation is to identify a conflict between potential temptations and higher-order (often longer-term) goals.
Of course, the notion of a temptation is always relative to current goals. Procrastination. Manejo efectivo del tiempo. How to Avoid Distractions Online (with pictures) Edit Article Using StayFocusd (Google Chrome)Using LeechBlock (Firefox)Using KeepMeOut (any browser) Edited by Writelf, Mariana88881, Andrew, Krystle and 21 others We all know how distracting it can be when you're trying to get some work done online, but you keep getting distracted by addictive sites like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and others.
Scoring 100% in Time Management. 13 Strategies To Jumpstart Your Productivity. 20 Quick Tips For Better Time Management - Stepcase Lifehack. Stripped GTD: 3 Habits That Make You More Productive. Your daily digest on productivity and life improvements - Stepcase Lifehack. The 100 Best Lifehacks of 2011: The Year in Review. The 90 Best Lifehacks of 2009: The Year in Review.