Productivity Hacks: Learn the Secrets of Highly Productive People

@infoactivist #mlawebinar @mnlibraries

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you should hear music

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Friday, April 3, 15

Productivity Hacks: Learn the Secrets of Highly Productive

PeopleAnthony Molaro, Ph.D.

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Who Am I?

• Previously

• Associate Dean of Library & Instructional Technology

• Public Library Director

• Head of Technical Services & Technology

• Various other roles

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MLIS%Program%

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@infoactivist | @scottlib_mn | #sclstaffdayFriday, April 3, 15

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Pop Quiz

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Hurry is Worry in Motion

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Effects

• Decreased capacity to love those around us

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Effects

• Destroys passion, innovation & creativity

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Effects

• Leads to shallower lives

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Big Ideas

• Approaches & Methodologies

• Time Management

• Task Management

• Information Management

• Email Management

• Habit Formation

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Approaches & Methodologies

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GTD - Contexts

• A key component of GTD is the use of contexts

• Contexts are tags you apply to something

• @store @errand @work @desk are all contexts

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Eisenhower Method

http://jamesclear.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/eisenhower-box.jpg

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Kanban

• Kanban is a visual system.

• It uses three main boards (to do, doing, done).

• Works well for project managers.

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Essentialism

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Essentialism

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Techniques

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3 D’s

• Distractions

• Disruptions

• Diversions

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Pomodoro

Photo Credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Il_pomodoro.jpg

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Standing Desk

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Time Management

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You schedule is the most powerful tool you have to shape the life you want

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My schedule should be far less about what I

have to get done than who I want to become

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The thoughtful and intentional re-crafting of my personal schedule can be one of the most creative, innovative and courageous endeavors I can put my hands to doing

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What Should Go on Your Calendar?

• Only time-bounded items should go on your calendar

• This can include self-imposed time-bounded items

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Task Management

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Task Management

• Task management is the system that you use to tackle the tasks of life (and work).

• Whether you use a GTD or Eisenhower system or something all your own.

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Task Management

• It is a to-do list that is well organized, time-bound and prioritized.

• Anything that takes more than a few minutes should be placed in your task manager.

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My Organization

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Todoist

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Todoist

• Freemium ($29 a year).

• Great for people who have solitary tasks.

• Great for list builders.

• Can email tasks.

• Lots of tagging and foldering abilities.

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Todoist

Photo Credit: https://purplezengoat.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/todoist-7-day-view.jpg

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Trello

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Trello

• Freemium ($45 a year).

• Great for visual people.

• Great for project managers.

• Follows the Kanban approach.

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Nirvana HQ

Photo Credit: https://larrinski.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/nirvana_screenshot.png

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Information Management

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• Information management is the management of all of those little pieces of information that come into your life.

• Can be either digital or analog but please pick one.

• A good information management systems serves as an extension of your brain.

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• Where do your store stuff like:

• Notes from this session (and other notes)

• Bookmarks and websites

• Articles

• Minutes and agenda

• New ideas

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• If you need to remember it or access it at some future point, it should go into an information management system.

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Evernote

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Evernote

• Freemium ($60 per year)

• Most widely used Information Management tool.

• Has analog features.

• Can email in information.

• Video, photos, recordings are all OK.

• Sharable.

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Photo Credit: http://productivityist.com/how-i-use-evernote-for-beer-cellaring/

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Evernote

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Evernote

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Email Management

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Email Management

• You can use whatever email client/provider you like.

• Rethink your email habits.

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Email Habits

• Imagine if you mail person rang your phone every time the post office received something for you.

• Imagine walking out to the mail box several times a day.

• Why do we treat email differently than traditional mail?

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Email Management

• Email is supposed to be long-form communications.

• It should be used for things that are not urgent.

• The phone, texting, and instant messaging are all tools that could be should be used for emergencies.

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Email Management

• Email has proven to be one of the biggest time sucks, productivity killers, and distractors of many of us.

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Email Management

• We treat email like its our job. Worse, we treat email like its a core function of our job.

• Email is a aspect of your work life, but its a very small one.

• For us, our job is to collect books, put on AMAZING programs, provide RA and reference, teach, engage our community. It is not live in email.

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Email Management

• Your goal should be to get in and out of email as fast as possible.

• Respond to emails that will only take a few minutes to respond to.

• Move more complex emails to your task management tool.

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Habit Building

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Habit Forming

• Many people want to form better habits so they use productivity tools to do so, but it often leads to failure.

• You need to use the right tool for the right thing.

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Don’t Break the Chain

Photo Credits: https://minneapolisviolinlessons.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/dont-break-the-chain.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1

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Habit RPG

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Coach.ME (formerly Lift)

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Coach.me

• Is a goal-setting app.

• Follows the “don’t break the chain” technique.

• Also has a strong social element.

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Quick Tips

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Morning Routine

• Morning people tend to:

• Make more money

• Be more productive

• Be healthier and live longer

• Be happier

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My Morning Routine• Theme song

• Breathing exercise

• Meditation

• Journaling (5-minute journal)

• Day planning

• 7-minute workout

• Positive readings

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Passwords

• Stolen from my friend Anne Slaughter:

• Set passwords to positive and encouraging phrases

• Change your passwords when you change your clock

• Use a tool like Lastpass

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Avoid Distractions

• Shut email and social media notifications off on your phone

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Creative Habit

Have a theme song(s)

Photo Credit: http://www.becktench.com/blog/

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Quit Something Thursdays

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Use a Timer on Your Internet

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Take Better Meeting Notes

Photo Credit: http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z386/marlacummins/Business/Blog%20Images/notes4.png

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@infoactivist #mlawebinar @mnlibrariesPhoto Credits: https://flic.kr/p/7rZi9Q

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Further Resources• David Allen, Getting Things Done, (Book)

• Greg McKeown, Essentialism, (Book)

• Michael Hyatt, http://michaelhyatt.com/ (Christian perspective)

• Joshua Becker, http://www.becomingminimalist.com/

• Mike Vardy, http://productivityist.com/

• Leo Babauta, http://zenhabits.net/

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Thank You

• Questions?

• You can follow up with me on Twitter too.

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