I'm a huge fan of getting things done and constantly honing my productivity. I recommend that everyone should learn about different methodologies and blend them together into your own. It takes a unique and different approach for everyone to score their goals. The triple deke might have worked for the Mighty Ducks,
But, for me, I use a mix of things I've learned from these books:
- Getting Things Done - David Allen's analysis and structured system around productivity is a must read for those that want to boost their productivity
- The Ultimate Sales Machine - This book builds on the idea of E-Myth by Michael Gerber in creating a system for a performing company. In it, there is a short, simple chapter on productivity. The basic gist is that before you start every day, you outline what tasks you want to complete and then assign timeboxes to each task.
- The Four Hour Workweek - I've tried to implement a lot of the stuff Tim Ferris outlines, but outsourcing to date has been more work for me than it has been worth. I do try to be on an information diet and I'm a firm proponent of the 80/20 principle, however.
My mix basically translates to Getting Things Done + Daily Tasks. I use Things.app to do project planning on a weekly basis. Every day, I select or create approximately 6 tasks I need to complete for the day and mark them as "Today" in Things.app. I schedule them out and order them sequentially. I use GeekTool and a handy AppleScript I've modified (gtd.applescript.txt) so my withstanding daily tasks are always in my face on my desktop. I'd really like to have it as a dashboard widget too, but I haven't taken the time to look for one just yet.
Any system you use requires relentless discipline. It's really easy to fall off the productivity wagon. Don't use a system just because it's the latest fad - use it because you want to be more effective at what you do.
How do you get things done? I love to nerd out about productivity tips so let me know what works for you!