blog.pmarca.com: The Pmarca Guide to Personal Productivity

refuse to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day. As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.

Highlighted by gcanfield

Let's start with a bang: don't keep a schedule. He's crazy, you say! I'm totally serious. If you pull it off -- and in many structured jobs, you simply can't -- this simple tip alone can make a huge difference in productivity. By not keeping a schedule, I mean: refuse to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day. As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time. Want to spend all day writing a research report? Do it! Want to spend all day coding? Do it! Want to spend all day at the cafe down the street reading a book on personal productivity? Do it! When someone emails or calls to say, "Let's meet on Tuesday at 3", the appropriate response is: "I'm not keeping a schedule for 2007, so I can't commit to that, but give me a call on Tuesday at 2:45 and if I'm available, I'll meet with you." Or, if it's important, say, "You know what, let's meet right now." Clearly this only works if you can get away with it. If you have a structured job, a structured job environment, or you're a CEO, it will be hard to pull off. But if you can do it, it's really liberating, and will lead to far higher productivity than almost any other tactic you can try.

Highlighted by piggex

As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.

Highlighted by gcanfield

work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.

Highlighted by gcanfield

work on whatever is most important or most interesting,

Highlighted by gcanfield

on whatever is most important or most interesting,

Highlighted by gcanfield

ays work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.

Highlighted by gcanfield

While you're procrastinating, just do lots of other stuff instead.

As John says, "The list of tasks one has in mind will be ordered by importance. Tasks that seem most urgent and important are on top. But there are also worthwhile tasks to perform lower down on the list. Doing these tasks becomes a way of not doing the things higher up on the list. With this sort of appropriate task structure, the procrastinator becomes a useful citizen. Indeed, the procrastinator can even acquire, as I have, a reputation for getting a lot done."

Highlighted by wandering_star

Structured Procrastination

Highlighted by wandering_star

use the back of the 3x5 card as your Anti-Todo List.

Highlighted by gcanfield

Let's start with a bang: don't keep a schedule.

Highlighted by pianoer

This idea comes from a wonderful book called A Perfect Mess, which explains how not keeping a schedule has been key to Arnold Schwarzenegger's success as a movie star, politician, and businessman over the last 20 years.

Highlighted by pianoer

Want to meet with Arnold? Sure, drop on by. He'll see you if he can. But you might want to call first. Sorry, he doesn't schedule appointments in advance.

Highlighted by pianoer

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

Highlighted by pianoer

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

Highlighted by pianoer

Then, throughout the rest of the day, use the back of the 3x5 card as your Anti-Todo List.

Highlighted by pianoer

Structured Procrastination.

Highlighted by pianoer

The other key two-word tactic: Strategic Incompetence.

Highlighted by pianoer

Do email exactly twice a day

Highlighted by pianoer

When you do process email, do it like this:

First, always finish each of your two daily email sessions with a completely empty inbox.

Highlighted by pianoer

Second, when doing email, either answer or file every single message until you get to that empty inbox state of grace.

Highlighted by pianoer

Fourth, aside from those temporary Action subfolders, only keep three standing email folders: Pending, Review, and Vault.

Highlighted by pianoer

Third, emails relating to topics that are current working projects or pressing issues go into temporary subfolders of a folder called Action.

Highlighted by pianoer

Don't answer the phone.

Highlighted by pianoer

Hide in an IPod.

Highlighted by pianoer

I'm not going to talk a lot about getting up early or going to bed late or anything else related to the course of a typical day, because everyone's different.

Highlighted by pianoer

But the thing that matters almost more than anything in determining whether I'll have a happy, satisfying day is this: no matter what time you get up, start the day with a real, sit-down breakfast.

Highlighted by pianoer

This serves two purposes.

First, it fuels you up. Study after study have shown that breakfast is, yes, the most important meal of the day. It's critical to properly fuel the body for the day's activities and it's also critical to staying lean or losing weight. (People who don't have breakfast tend to eat more, and worse, at lunch.)

Second, it gives you a chance to calmly, peacefully collect your thoughts and prepare mentally and emotionally for the day ahead.

This works whether you do it with kids and/or a partner, or you're solo.

Personally I think it's worth whatever effort is involved to go to bed early enough to wake up early enough to have a good solid 45 minutes or an hour for breakfast each morning, if you can pull it off.

Highlighted by pianoer

Only agree to new commitments when both your head and your heart say yes.

Highlighted by pianoer

Do something you love.

Highlighted by pianoer

every time you do something -- anything -- useful during the day, write it down in your Anti-Todo List on the card.

Highlighted by wandering_star

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

The more into lists you are, the more important this is.

Into the Todo List goes all the stuff you "must" do -- commitments, obligations, things that have to be done. A single list, possibly subcategorized by timeframe (today, this week, next week, next month).

Into the Watch List goes all the stuff going on in your life that you have to follow up on, wait for someone else to get back to you on, remind yourself of in the future, or otherwise remember.

Into the Later List goes everything else -- everything you might want to do or will do when you have time or wish you could do.

If it doesn't go on one of those three lists, it goes away.

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

And then, the next day, do those things.

I sit down at my desk before I go to sleep, pull up my Todo List (which I keep in Microsoft Word's outline mode, due to long habit), and pick out the 3 to 5 things I am going to get done tomorrow. I write those things on a fresh 3x5 card, lay the card out with my card keys, and go to bed. Then, the next day, I try like hell to get just those things done. If I do, it was a successful day.

Highlighted by wandering_star

Let's start with a bang: don't keep a schedule. He's crazy, you say! I'm totally serious. If you pull it off -- and in many structured jobs, you simply can't -- this simple tip alone can make a huge difference in productivity. By not keeping a schedule, I mean: refuse to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day. As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time. Want to spend all day writing a research report? Do it! Want to spend all day coding? Do it! Want to spend all day at the cafe down the street reading a book on personal productivity? Do it! When someone emails or calls to say, "Let's meet on Tuesday at 3", the appropriate response is: "I'm not keeping a schedule for 2007, so I can't commit to that, but give me a call on Tuesday at 2:45 and if I'm available, I'll meet with you." Or, if it's important, say, "You know what, let's meet right now." Clearly this only works if you can get away with it. If you have a structured job, a structured job environment, or you're a CEO, it will be hard to pull off. But if you can do it, it's really liberating, and will lead to far higher productivity than almost any other tactic you can try.

Highlighted by piggex

Let's start with a bang: don't keep a schedule

Highlighted by doxyer

refuse to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day.

Highlighted by gcanfield

As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.

Highlighted by doxyer

As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.

Highlighted by telecommatt

This idea comes from a wonderful book called A Perfect Mess, which explains how not keeping a schedule has been key to Arnold Schwarzenegger's success as a movie star, politician, and businessman over the last 20 years.

Highlighted by doxyer

This also gives you the best odds of maximizing flow, which is a whole 'nother topic but highly related.

Highlighted by doxyer

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

Highlighted by gcanfield

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

Highlighted by doxyer

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

Highlighted by gcanfield

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

The more into lists you are, the more important this is.

Into the Todo List goes all the stuff you "must" do -- commitments, obligations, things that have to be done. A single list, possibly subcategorized by timeframe (today, this week, next week, next month).

Into the Watch List goes all the stuff going on in your life that you have to follow up on, wait for someone else to get back to you on, remind yourself of in the future, or otherwise remember.

Into the Later List goes everything else -- everything you might want to do or will do when you have time or wish you could do.

If it doesn't go on one of those three lists, it goes away.

Highlighted by wade

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

Highlighted by telecommatt

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

And then, the next day, do those things.

Highlighted by doxyer

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

The more into lists you are, the more important this is.

Into the Todo List goes all the stuff you "must" do -- commitments, obligations, things that have to be done. A single list, possibly subcategorized by timeframe (today, this week, next week, next month).

Into the Watch List goes all the stuff going on in your life that you have to follow up on, wait for someone else to get back to you on, remind yourself of in the future, or otherwise remember.

Into the Later List goes everything else -- everything you might want to do or will do when you have time or wish you could do.

If it doesn't go on one of those three lists, it goes away.

Highlighted by dopepriest

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

And then, the next day, do those things.

I sit down at my desk before I go to sleep, pull up my Todo List (which I keep in Microsoft Word's outline mode, due to long habit), and pick out the 3 to 5 things I am going to get done tomorrow. I write those things on a fresh 3x5 card, lay the card out with my card keys, and go to bed. Then, the next day, I try like hell to get just those things done. If I do, it was a successful day.

Highlighted by apopheniac

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

And then, the next day, do those things.

I sit down at my desk before I go to sleep, pull up my Todo List (which I keep in Microsoft Word's outline mode, due to long habit), and pick out the 3 to 5 things I am going to get done tomorrow. I write those things on a fresh 3x5 card, lay the card out with my card keys, and go to bed. Then, the next day, I try like hell to get just those things done. If I do, it was a successful day.

People who have tried lots of productivity porn techniques will tell you that this is one of the most successful techniques they have ever tried.

Once you get into the habit, you start to realize how many days you used to have when you wouldn't get 3 to 5 important/significant/meaningful things done during a day.

Highlighted by wade

every time you do something -- anything -- useful during the day, write it down in your Anti-Todo List on the card.

Highlighted by gcanfield

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

Highlighted by telecommatt

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

Highlighted by imrchen

Then, throughout the rest of the day, use the back of the 3x5 card as your Anti-Todo List.

This isn't a real list. And the name is tongue firmly in cheek.

What you do is this: every time you do something -- anything -- useful during the day, write it down in your Anti-Todo List on the card.

Each time you do something, you get to write it down and you get that little rush of endorphins that the mouse gets every time he presses the button in his cage and gets a food pellet.

And then at the end of the day, before you prepare tomorrow's 3x5 card, take a look at today's card and its Anti-Todo list and marvel at all the things you actually got done that day.

Highlighted by wade

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

Highlighted by imrchen

Structured Procrastination.

This is a great one

Highlighted by doxyer

Read his original description, by all means.

Highlighted by doxyer

Generally in the course of a day, there is something you have to do that you are not doing because you are procrastinating.

While you're procrastinating, just do lots of other stuff instead.

Highlighted by doxyer

Structured Procrastination.

Highlighted by wade

Then, throughout the rest of the day, use the back of the 3x5 card as your Anti-Todo List.

Highlighted by imrchen

The gist of Structured Procrastination is that you should never fight the tendency to procrastinate -- instead, you should use it to your advantage in order to get other things done.

Generally in the course of a day, there is something you have to do that you are not doing because you are procrastinating.

Highlighted by wade

Structured Procrastination.

Highlighted by telecommatt

The other key two-word tactic: Strategic Incompetence.

The best way to to make sure that you are never asked to do something again is to royally screw it up the first time you are asked to do it.

Highlighted by doxyer

Only doing email twice a day will make you far more productive for the rest of the day.

The problem with email is that getting an email triggers that same endorphin hit I mentioned above -- the one that a mouse gets when he bonks on the button in the cage and gets a food pellet.

Responding to an email triggers that same hit.

The pleasure chemical hits your neocortex and you go "ahhh" inside and feel like you've done something.

So you sit and work with your mail client open and you interrupt your work every time an email comes in and you answer it and you send another email and you feel great in the moment.

But what you're really doing is fracturing your time, interrupting your flow, and killing your ability to focus on anything long enough to get real high-quality work done.

Highlighted by apopheniac

Do email exactly twice a day -- say, once first thing in the morning, and once at the end of the workday.

Highlighted by telecommatt

Only agree to new commitments when both your head and your heart say yes.

Highlighted by doxyer

Don't answer the phone.

Highlighted by telecommatt

start the day with a real, sit-down breakfast.

This serves two purposes.

First, it fuels you up. Study after study have shown that breakfast is, yes, the most important meal of the day. It's critical to properly fuel the body for the day's activities and it's also critical to staying lean or losing weight. (People who don't have breakfast tend to eat more, and worse, at lunch.)

Second, it gives you a chance to calmly, peacefully collect your thoughts and prepare mentally and emotionally for the day ahead.

Highlighted by wade

Hide in an IPod.

Highlighted by telecommatt

Keep three and only three lists: a Todo List, a Watch List, and a Later List.

The more into lists you are, the more important this is.

Into the Todo List goes all the stuff you "must" do -- commitments, obligations, things that have to be done. A single list, possibly subcategorized by timeframe (today, this week, next week, next month).

Into the Watch List goes all the stuff going on in your life that you have to follow up on, wait for someone else to get back to you on, remind yourself of in the future, or otherwise remember.

Into the Later List goes everything else -- everything you might want to do or will do when you have time or wish you could do.

If it doesn't go on one of those three lists, it goes away.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Second, it gives you a chance to calmly, peacefully collect your thoughts and prepare mentally and emotionally for the day ahead.

Highlighted by telecommatt

Only agree to new commitments when both your head and your heart say yes.

Highlighted by telecommatt

While I find GTD to be highly inspiring, in practice I think it's awfully complex.

Highlighted by doxyer

For me, an organization system that requires significant time to deal with in and of itself is not optimal.

Highlighted by doxyer

Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3x5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.

And then, the next day, do those things.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Do something you love.

Highlighted by telecommatt

Then, throughout the rest of the day, use the back of the 3x5 card as your Anti-Todo List.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Each time you do something, you get to write it down

Highlighted by eyalnow

And then at the end of the day, before you prepare tomorrow's 3x5 card, take a look at today's card and its Anti-Todo list and marvel at all the things you actually got done that day.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Structured Procrastination.

Highlighted by eyalnow

The gist of Structured Procrastination is that you should never fight the tendency to procrastinate -- instead, you should use it to your advantage in order to get other things done.

Highlighted by eyalnow

While you're procrastinating, just do lots of other stuff instead.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Do email exactly twice a day -- say, once first thing in the morning, and once at the end of the workday.

Highlighted by eyalnow

When you do process email, do it like this:

First, always finish each of your two daily email sessions with a completely empty inbox.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Second, when doing email, either answer or file every single message until you get to that empty inbox state of grace.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Third, emails relating to topics that are current working projects or pressing issues go into temporary subfolders of a folder called Action.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Fourth, aside from those temporary Action subfolders, only keep three standing email folders: Pending, Review, and Vault.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Don't answer the phone.

Let it go to voicemail, and then every few hours, screen your voicemails and batch the return calls.

Highlighted by eyalnow

no matter what time you get up, start the day with a real, sit-down breakfast.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Only agree to new commitments when both your head and your heart say yes.

Highlighted by eyalnow

Do something you love.

Highlighted by eyalnow

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on 2007-06-12 by telecommatt

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