Time Hacks for Work

TIME HACKINGHow to be more productive

and optimize your time at work

@edolopezJune 17th, 2014@icalialabs

Tuesday, June 17, 14

TIME is the most valuable asset we haveWe cannot restore it or buy it


There’s always time.

Time is priorities.

Wants vs. Needs (Priorities)



TIME IS ABOUT MANAGEMENT


TIME IS ABOUT MANAGEMENTHACKING


THE RIGHT WAY TO MANAGE (HACK) IT IS WITH:

Techniques,

Tools, and

A personal system


1. TECHNIQUES


1. TECHNIQUESA technique is a procedure that can be used

many times to take advantage of time in a wise way


1. USE POMODORO- Total focus on a specific activity for 25 minutes. - Don’t get distracted with anything else.- Short or long breaks between to distract and retake momentum


2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DEAD TIMES- A brief moment when you can talk about a pending topic without scheduling. - During the typical walk to the corner store, the restaurant, etc.


3. SET SPECIFIC TIMES TO CHECK EMAIL- Biggest time-sucks known to modern man is checking and responding to email- Email takes up 28% of the average worker’s day- An email comes in and suddenly you’re giving your best hours to someone else’s goals, not yours.- Email can turn you into a jerk.- Email can be more addictive than alcohol and tobacco.

... just set specific times for it!


4. OPTIMIZE THE MOMENT ON THE BATHROOM- You know you can do a lot...


5. HAVE A MORNING PLANNING MOMENT- Define your to-do’s of the day.- Enjoy the daily standup meeting.- Read the news and blogs. - Manage your mood!


6. OPTIMIZE TIME FOR MEETINGS AND SESSIOS- Have an agenda.- Have time constrains and a facilitator. - Consider a goal and what you want to get from the session


7. PROMOTE NO DISTRACTORS- Special signals, such as heaphones to say you are busy. - Put the do-not-disturb mode in your phone (plane mode)- Turn off alerts and banners on Desktop.- Return calls later.- People working from home can be understandable.


2. TOOLS


2. TOOLSTools are going to be the instrument to manage

and asses any activity in terms of time


Prioritization and organization

Time Tracking

Mail management

Physical tools

2. TOOLS

Tools can be classified in:


a) Prioritization and Organization

Mindmestier for Mind Mapping - http://www.mindmeister.com/


http://www.mindmeister.com/


Trello as a Kanban board - http://www.trello.com




Evernote or Hackpad for personal notes and TO-DOs


Evernote or Hackpad for personal notes and TO-DOs

* Even Basecamp or Google App for Business can be used

for reminders and personal notes


Tomighty.org app for pomodoros


Tomighty.org app for pomodoros

... picture doesn’t make sense, but was tasty and I was hungry



b) Time Hacking

RescueTime.com to monitor all your


Toggl.com to contextualize your spent time


Timelyapp.com and getHarvest.com are other options


Timelyapp.com and getHarvest.com are other options... if you have the money.


c) Mail Management

Boomearng for Gmail to schedule an email to be sent later. Easy email reminders.


Inbox pause for Gmail to stop in certain time span arrival emails


d) Physical Tools

A more personal need.

If you need big monitors, to have good quality headphones or any other device, it is more a personal way of be productive.


d) Physical Tools

A more personal need.

If you need big monitors, to have good quality headphones or any other device, it is more a personal way of be productive.

Discover yourself!


3. A PERSONAL SYSTEM


3. A PERSONAL SYSTEMA combination of both techniques and tools

depending on the scenarios of your daily work


A personal system means to have a strict routine and procedures.

Depends on daily work activities, how your system is going to be set.

You can have multiple scenarios, for different days or situations.

3. A PERSONAL SYSTEM


EXAMPLE OF PERSONAL SYSTEM

Set your mood and visualize your tasks for the day.

Plan your day the night before, or during the morning.

Start with your mind map or kanban, what am I going to do today?

Daily standup to start your project prioritization.

Use pomodoro for every activity; no more than 25 minutes. Take little breaks to distract your mind.


Don’t schedule meetings after certain hour. “Tuesdays are for project clients”.

Track with context every activity. At the end of the week you will see when you are more productive and doing what.

“12pm and 6pm are email hours”.

Meal time is always at certain time.


CONCLUSIONS


Use techniques, tools and combine them to define a personal system to manage better your time.

Stick to a routine!

Start with short tasks to get the ball rolling. Stop multitasking, it merely kills your focus.


We’re always more focused and productive with limited time. Set deadlines for everything, don’t let the work get indefinitely.

More work doesn’t mean productivity. Use constrains as opportunities.

Reminder apps for everything, don’t trust your brain.


This is for your life and for the people who care about you

Girl/Boy-friend.

Colleagues.

Family.

Friends.

Customers.




THANKS!

CEO - @edolopezJune 17th, 2014@icalialabs


REFERENCES

Quora: “As a startup CEO, what is your favorite productivity hack?”. http://www.quora.com/Productivity/As-a-startup-CEO-what-is-your-favorite-productivity-hack

Forbes: 7 Productivity Hacks that succesful people use everyday. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/01/08/7-productivity-hacks-that-successful-people-use-every-day/

Your most valuable asset is time. http://www.inc.com/robert-kaplan/robert-kaplan-your-most-valuable-asset-is-time.html

Martin Fowler Blog: How to leverage a Daily Standup Meeting. http://martinfowler.com/articles/itsNotJustStandingUp.html


http://www.quora.com/Productivity/As-a-startup-CEO-what-is-your-favorite-productivity-hack






http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/01/08/7-productivity-hacks-that-successful-people-use-every-day/






http://www.inc.com/robert-kaplan/robert-kaplan-your-most-valuable-asset-is-time.html




http://martinfowler.com/articles/itsNotJustStandingUp.html




Quora: Ways to increase productivity as a web developer. http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-ways-to-increase-productivity-as-a-web-developer-programmer

Quora: What does it feel like to be a CEO of a startup. http://www.quora.com/Startups/What-does-it-feel-like-to-be-the-CEO-of-a-start-up

Business Insider: 6 Things the most productive people do every day. http://www.businessinsider.com/6-things-the-most-productive-people-do-every-day-2014-6?utm_content=buffer45154&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer


http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-ways-to-increase-productivity-as-a-web-developer-programmer




http://www.quora.com/Startups/What-does-it-feel-like-to-be-the-CEO-of-a-start-up




http://www.businessinsider.com/6-things-the-most-productive-people-do-every-day-2014-6?utm_content=buffer45154&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer








Self Improvement

Time Hacks for Work