How I boost my productivity

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Andrew

Andrew

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Jun 24, 2006
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Here are a few things I do to increase my PC productivity, and work fast. someof these things I've been doing for years, others much more recent:

1. Create a browser start page. A local page will load instantly and provide you with links to your most used sites. Point and click, avoid opening bookmarks or typing. Here is a screenshot of what mine looks like right now:
http://www.webpublishingblog.com/start-page.gif

2. Use two monitors. Just started doing this a few months ago. I could never go back. Being able to give IM aps and FTP their own screen really helps.

3. Get a better UI. I have been using Litestep for a good 4 or 5 years. With two monitors and the LiteGnome theme I can have around 32 windows open before it becomes a problem, but I try to keep it down to 8.

4. Use hand written lists aggresively. I made a post about this this on my blog, read the last three paragraphs. Honestly I feel like I am getting stuff done in a day that used to take me a week. There are 365 days in a year, right now we have about 147 left. Every day counts.

The downside to working fast: your hands will hate you.
 


Andrew said:
4. Use hand written lists aggresively. I made a post about this this on my blog, read the last three paragraphs. Honestly I feel like I am getting stuff done in a day that used to take me a week. There are 365 days in a year, right now we have about 147 left. Every day counts.

The downside to working fast: your hands will hate you.
Click to expand...

I just started doing this after I read your blog post, so far it has increased my productivity by a good 25%. Awesome tip :xyxthumbs:
 
Great to hear! A few weeks I had some ideas I was writing down, then I started listing the exact things I needed to do to make it happen, and now I'm doing it for everything.
 
Your start page is handy. I use a similar technique - my start page is a web based RSS reader. Everytime I open a window I can see what's new on all the sites I might follow. No need to browse to sites and see if anything is updated.
 
wdmny said:
Your start page is handy. I use a similar technique - my start page is a web based RSS reader. Everytime I open a window I can see what's new on all the sites I might follow. No need to browse to sites and see if anything is updated.
Click to expand...

sometimes that is very counterproductive ;)

If I have something that needs to be done, I don't check my e-mail, log-in to IM, visits forums, etc.
 
I tend to over-load on ideas and projects and am easily distracted. I'm thinking if I was tested-I'd be positive for adult ADD!

I use old fashion index cards. Each card has an idea/project/task on it. Every time I have something "brilliant" to add, I write it on the index card. I go through the cards and have no more than 5 out at a time to be focusing on. I check off any idea(s) on it that I developed/accomplished. (I have a seperate box of cards for bills/debts!)

I naturally bounce from one thing to another, the idex cards help keep me focused. When I have accomplished what I want (it can be one or several tasks per card), I "trade" it for another index card!

I stopped fighting my tendencies and started working with them! I have trouble focusing and have several things going on at once.....that's OK! Doing nothing with all my ideas because I'm easily distracted is not! Balance and focus are the goals and I will attain those goals.
 
Andrew said:
1. Create a browser start page. A local page will load instantly and provide you with links to your most used sites. Point and click, avoid opening bookmarks or typing. Here is a screenshot of what mine looks like right now:
http://www.webpublishingblog.com/start-page.gif
Click to expand...
If you use Firefox you can do this pretty easily:
- Open the websites you want to load automatically, each as a seperate tab,
- Bookmark them using the 'Bookmark all tabs' option in the bookmark option. Save this as whatever you want e.g. 'Common'
- Open Tools -> Options -> General, and for the Homepage location, select 'Use Bookmark', then select 'Common' (or whatever you called it)
- Viola, when you open your browser it will automagically open all the webpages in a new tab.
 
Jan, I to am an adult add sufferererer, I am going to give your idea a try. I try and tell people I am a very good multitasker or I am to smart to only do 1 thing at a time but focus is so important if you want to be really good at something!
 
mrvolleyball that is some good advice. I just scroll through my bookmarks right now.
 
"1. Create a browser start page. A local page will load instantly and provide you with links to your most used sites. Point and click, avoid opening bookmarks or typing. Here is a screenshot of what mine looks like right now:
http://www.webpublishingblog.com/start-page.gif"




Outstanding tip, thanks! This has already knocked time off my workday.
 
These are great tips, especially the paper and pencil one. There's just something about writing stuff down that helps us remember something better or do something. This also applies, for me anyways, on scheduling. A scheduling book is better for me than a PDA - plus it's cheaper. :)
 
chrislingle said:
Jan, I to am an adult add sufferererer, I am going to give your idea a try. I try and tell people I am a very good multitasker or I am to smart to only do 1 thing at a time but focus is so important if you want to be really good at something!
Click to expand...

I like that! There was a good site that didn't just say "if you answered yes....go to your doc and req our drug", it gave good advice to work with it and the positive traits...mutlitasking, intuitive, creative, etc.

I take a few (1/2 suggested doese) focus factor (supplement) pills and that helps when my lack of focus interfers with things that need to be done or wage earning work.

Medication has it's place, but I think too many kids are over medicated and its sad that their creativity will be effected. Will probably be less entreprenurs from the over medicated generation!
 
mrvolleyball said:
If you use Firefox you can do this pretty easily:
- Open the websites you want to load automatically, each as a seperate tab,
- Bookmark them using the 'Bookmark all tabs' option in the bookmark option. Save this as whatever you want e.g. 'Common'
- Open Tools -> Options -> General, and for the Homepage location, select 'Use Bookmark', then select 'Common' (or whatever you called it)
- Viola, when you open your browser it will automagically open all the webpages in a new tab.
Click to expand...

Very nifty indeed

I just use the Bookmarks toolbar folder.. all my fav sites are listed above the Google Toolbar.. sorted.
 
Karnul said:
"1. Create a browser start page. A local page will load instantly and provide you with links to your most used sites. Point and click, avoid opening bookmarks or typing. Here is a screenshot of what mine looks like right now:
http://www.webpublishingblog.com/start-page.gif"
Click to expand...
Thats pretty cool but Bookmarks toolbar folder in Firefox also works wonders.. above red line
wickerftc3.jpg
 
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