Everyone wants to be more productive, but how do you become more productive? Well, hopefully you'll find some answers in this article where I've co...
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Once I realized number 12 (Biological Time) it was so clutch for me. The only issue I run into now is having colleagues who are on different biological clocks. I am most alert from 5:30 to 11:30am. However, 11:30 onward is when my day really begins. Nonetheless, I am so much more productive having realized this, and keep my afternoons/evenings for more fun/personal projects to relax with.
Great tips and write up!
About pomodoro: what to you folks do for rest? In my experience it either ejects me from my deep flow and I have a hard time getting into it again or it doesn't feel particularly restful/exciting/fullfilling
Get comfortable with taking a break. The point is time boxing. It's no different from doing reps/working out.
My breaks include going for a short 5 min walk around the house, walking around giving belly rubs to my pets, or reading a quick reddit post.
Doing a short walk around the block maybe a good idea, thanks! I believe time away from screen is best for rest, but I also don't want to change my mind focus too much. So a walk may still give me time to think about it unconsciously. Other similar ideas still welcome though, because a walk may take too much time with getting shoes on and etx
"Eat the frog" is one of greatest books for self-organization and task management. Great article
I only got this far in my career thanks to that book.
I use Pomodoro for so long and confirm it's work for me. It reduce distraction a lot.
I use number 3 (The Rule of three) alot in my day to day life, to the extent that 3 has become my favourite number.
Think of it this way, always think of 3 most important tasks or things to do, and the rest of the task will be easy to apporach and flow naturally, because you have accomplished and conquered the most difficult task, you will have courage to take on anything.
Why don't you just relax, take your time, and do it right? Why this incredible race to extinction? Do you really think any other outcome is possible, given that we just move ever more rapidly to destroy the biosphere, never even keeping a steady pace much less slowing down? And in the midst of all that and all the devastation around us, all you can think about is how to crank out more useless code in less time so you can be more productive at doing worthless shit.
How about we all slow way down and ask ourselves, what the hell are we doing, why the hell are we doing it, and is there anything else at all we could be doing with our time that might produce a better outcome for all life on Earth?
But maybe it's just me. Denial is an ugly thing. I guess we'll figure out how to save ourselves "later".
Most of us are trying to do what we can to stop climate change. Before you assume we're doing "worthless shit". Tell us what you do. Don't assume everyone around you is an ignorant idiot. Then I'll listen.
Oh, and almost forgot. I did provide an answer to my own questions, hence "what [I] do" -- and what I'm recommending to readers:
Did you maybe stop reading after the first question?
I meant what do you ACTUALLY actively do to prevent climate change. Give some specific examples of what you do to "produce a better outcome for all life on Earth"
Sorry, but no. This is still an attempt on your part to redirect the discussion away from my questions. Let's assume that I use a lot of plastic. I eat nothing but GMO beef. I drive a tank.
OK, nice, right? But what does it have to do with my question? 20 Easy Ways to Be More Productive Doing What, Exactly? But then, as you say in another response, you frankly don't care what. Whatever the reader wants to do more productively. I guess if what they want to do is implement a "Final Solution", then you'd be happy to help them to do it more efficiently. Too late. IBM got there first.
Maybe they want to help build a better surveillance state. That's good, too, right?
I guess it's asking too much to expect an "author" to think about what they've written when really all they did was fifteen minutes of Googling, then slapped together other people's work (without giving any credit, of course), and finally dumped it in any old order into a listicle -- because that's the best way to get numerous clicks from a benighted audience and it's really all about getting those views, right?
I will save future readers the trouble: the best way to be more productive is to stop wasting time on lists of ways to be more productive and get back to work. Hopefully, doing something worth doing.
Let me end this pointless conversation: "But what does it have to do with my question? 20 Easy Ways to Be More Productive Doing What, Exactly? But then, as you say in another response, you frankly don't care what." Developing, but It's really up to them.
"I guess it's asking too much to expect an "author" to think about what they've written when really all they did was fifteen minutes of Googling, then slapped together other people's work (without giving any credit, of course), and finally dumped it in any old order into a listicle -- because that's the best way to get numerous clicks from a benighted audience and it's really all about getting those views, right?"
Any more useless comments?
My bad. You did give some credit at the bottom after everyone stopped reading.
You've clearly decided that I'm the asshole. But my initial response simply asked questions that we should all be asking. You could have ignored it, or responded in any of many ways, including taking the question seriously and discussing how that might be worth discussion.
Instead, you got all butt hurt, and made it all about you. Then lashed out at me.
As for the end of the world, if you look at it closely you will see that it is made up of billions of tiny moments in which we could have made a difference, but we decided that the moments were so small that they didn't count. We defined the problem not as the end result of so many smaller, easier-to-solve problems but as an enormous monolith, much too difficult to solve, hence somebody else's problem. How convenient for us!
And so we did nothing and went extinct.
Maybe somebody ought to start somewhere and say something. Maybe every time we open our mouths or put fingers to a keyboard, the first thing we should talk about is the elephant in the room. Climate destruction and nuclear war are not "issues" we can try to do something about in our "spare time". They are existential.
The house is on fire, the children are about to burn to death, and you want to talk about what color to paint the kitchen cabinets. But I'm the jerk for mentioning that maybe we should think about putting the fire out.
Good luck with that.
I don't think you're the asshole. I understand that "Climate destruction and nuclear war are not 'issues' we can try to do something about in our 'spare time'. They are existential. "
I know that we should constantly be reminded of that. I'm sorry I didn't think of doing so for the article.
While we should do everything we can to stop it, do you really think millions of people are going to be able to quit their job and fight climate change because it's existential? There's only so much the average person can do to fight climate change. I mean, maybe you'd be able to if you're wealthy but the vast majority of people on earth can't just occupy themselves full-time on the problem of climate change. They can in their free time.
Until we change the fundamental infrastructure and economy of the world to a sustainable one, these personal efforts won't save the world. I know this sounds like an excuse for not making a personal effort; I know personal efforts do make a difference.
If you want to spread awareness about climate change, go ahead, but don't expect people to throw everything out the window and start relentlessly fighting climate change. They'll do what they can manage.
They're a wealthy oil tycoon with great influence and free time? Great they can make a big change.
They're a cashier working at Walmart with little money and free time? They'll do what they can.
I'm sorry that I said your comments are useless, but I really didn't understand what you expected from people:
"I will save future readers the trouble: the best way to be more productive is to stop wasting time on lists of ways to be more productive and get back to work. Hopefully, doing something worth doing." Maybe they'll find something useful in that list that will allow them to do more useful things in a given amount of time. Don't just get back to work and keep banging your head agains the wall, see if there's a more efficient and easier way to work and use your time.
"Finally, if 'most of us are trying to do what we can to stop climate change' is true, I must ask just to whom 'most of us' refers. To you and your cat? I only ask because if the who is 'humanity' or even 'most English-speaking people', then we are well and truly screwed, because 'trying to do what we can to stop climate change' seems to be doing nothing at all except make it worse." Ok probably not most of us, and probably most of the people who are doing something aren't doing everything they can.
"But that you took an argument about topics worthy of discussion to be an attack on you personally for your lack of caring about the demise of all life on Earth does smack a bit of barely-repressed guilt." It's not personal, I just hate when people assume that others don't care and that they're the hero and everyone around them is a guilty and ignorant piece of shit. The world doesn't work like that.
"Speaking of which, I must have missed the part of your article where you mentioned how we're going to solve the climate catastrophe, pollution, and pending nuclear war. It didn't seem to be in any of your twenty 'easy ways' to be more productive. Neither did you appear to mention what it is that we should be productive at. I guess more productive at destroying the planet or saving it are both acceptable answers." I'm not in a position to say exactly how we're going to solve climate change, no one knows exactly. Let alone nuclear war. I mean nuclear war? Do you seriously expect me to just give some step by step instructions on how to prevent nuclear war? In the case of nuclear war, there's nothing remotely significant I can say. We can talk about it all we want, but at the end of the day, Putin or Kim Jong Un or some other powerful figure can press a button and we will have nuclear war whether we like it or not.
"As for the end of the world, if you look at it closely you will see that it is made up of billions of tiny moments in which we could have made a difference, but we decided that the moments were so small that they didn't count. We defined the problem not as the end result of so many smaller, easier-to-solve problems but as an enormous monolith, much too difficult to solve, hence somebody else's problem. How convenient for us!" We have to do what we can, but ask yourself this, will these billions of tiny moments solve the problem? Ok, they can contribute to solving the problem, but until we fundamentally transform the entire(or most of at least)economy and infrastructures of our everyday lives, little will change. I wish it was as easy as just a billion little moments, but at the end of the day, there are enormous monoliths of problems that need solving
I do think people like you talking about climate change and nuclear war have good intention, but you are claiming that people like me who just wanted to publish a blog post don't care about the "children that are about to burn to death".
In conclusion, I get your message, but I strongly disagree with your perception of climate change, nuclear war, people and work.
Let's assume that I'm the evilest person on the planet. How is that relevant? Is my comment somehow more or less true based on my own beliefs and behavior? As usual, people who have no good argument simply change the subject and hope no one will notice.
Speaking of which, I must have missed the part of your article where you mentioned how we're going to solve the climate catastrophe, pollution, and pending nuclear war. It didn't seem to be in any of your twenty "easy ways" to be more productive. Neither did you appear to mention what it is that we should be productive at. I guess more productive at destroying the planet or saving it are both acceptable answers.
As my argument wasn't about you or what you, personally, are doing to "stop climate change" (good luck -- my guess is nothing, really), but was about posting articles about efficiency without discussing what that efficiency was in pursuit of -- which is precisely what you did -- it looks like you missed it completely.
But that you took an argument about topics worthy of discussion to be an attack on you personally for your lack of caring about the demise of all life on Earth does smack a bit of barely-repressed guilt.
I was looking around for where it is written that before one can ask a question, one must already know the answer, but I can't find it. I think you might be confused about the purpose of questions.
Finally, if "most of us are trying to do what we can to stop climate change" is true, I must ask just to whom "most of us" refers. To you and your cat? I only ask because if the who is "humanity" or even "most English-speaking people", then we are well and truly screwed, because "trying to do what we can to stop climate change" seems to be doing nothing at all except make it worse.
Now, are you going to respond to the questions I asked, or just sling ad hominem? What is the rush? Where are we rushing to? Why do we need to get there in such a hurry? It is difficult to take anything on dev.to seriously with that big elephant taking up so much space in the room.
"What is the rush? Where are we rushing to? Why do we need to get there in such a hurry?"
We don't need to. If you want to you can. The list is for those who want to.
Want to get where?
I don't know, ask the readers.
Every single item is worth to try!
Nice guide :)
keep more post like this, Thanks
Thanks Thanks Thanks @code_jedi
Very nice to know!
Thx
Saved for future until I find the right one for me! Thank you 🙂
I would also add the importance of listening to non-lyrical music when you want to focus. Music can put you in a focus state, or it can distract you, so use it wisely. I love music so I listen to lo-fi beats when I want to focus.
Just added this as a resource in my article.
Thank you for writing this