The Keep It Super Simple (K.I.S.S.) Productivity Award

Posted on March 16, 2015 by dailyplanit

Watching the Academy Awards recently has inspired me to suggest nominations for the Keep It Super Simple (K.I.S.S.) Productivity Award. The criteria for winning is to be the simplest method or tool. Some methods and tools are obvious winners, but the results are undecided in some categories. Add your nominations and cast your votes at the Daily PlanIt facebook page.

THE SYSTEM

Nominations in the Priorities category:

Alan Lakein’s ABC Method
Stephen R Covey’s time management matrix
Leo Babauta’s Most Important Tasks Method (MITs)

And the winner is: The MITs or Most Important Tasks Method from Zen Habits

Nominations in the Paper Category:

DIY Planners
A Mead pocket calendar with a set with a weekly planning form plus five daily planning forms (pdf) or a notepad.
For GTD practitioners: The GTD mini system

No clear winner in this category.

Nominations in the Apps for Lists Category:

Evernote
Google Drive
Other

The Daily PlanIt Keep It Super Simple (K.I.S.S.) System uses Google Calendar and Google Drive for lists.

THE ROUTINE

Nominations in the Take a Break Category are:

The Pomodoro Technique: work 25 minutes/5 minute break
Tony Schwartz’s Ultradian Rhythm: work 90 minutes/20 minute break
Peter Bregman’s 18 Minutes: set timer for hourly reminder to stretch, breathe, and re-focus.

And the winner is: Peter Bregman’s 18 Minutes, since this method is flexible enough to work with most jobs.

THE FOCUS

Nominations in the Find Your Focus Category are:

I declare a 3-way tie! These are all Daily PlanIt tools, and they each have a place in finding focus.

THE PLAN

Nominations in the Weekly Review and Plan Category are:

David Allen’s Getting Things Done
Stephen R Covey’s Six Step Weekly Planning Process
Leo Babauta’s Zen to Done

Probably Zen to Done, what do you think?

It’s not too late! Add your nominations and cast your votes at the Daily PlanIt facebook page.

Posted in productivity

Optimize Your Day With the Science of Productivity

Posted on March 8, 2015 by dailyplanit

Sometimes there is resistance to the idea of a routine, but the most productive people follow a routine-www.bakadesuyo.com. Putting the things we need to do on a regular basis on autopilot allows us to focus on more important matters. Studies have revealed statistics about the effects of interruptions and multi-tasking, the best environments for productivity and more. Do some experiments to see how you work best, and shape your daily routine (as much as possible) with these results from research in the area of productivity. While some aspects may not be within our control depending on our workplace, others may be possible to regulate.
ScienceofProductivity
via easel.ly download at Slideshare

A Daily Routine based on the Science of Productivity

Exercise = 23% more productivity. Source: Wired Innovation Insights. Exercise in the morning to enjoy it more and reap the feel good benefits throughout the day.
Happy people are 15% more productive-University of Warwick. (Or 31% more productive-Forbes.com) Gain a whole lot of benefits by making time to add happiness habits throughout the day.

Dan Ariely, Professor of Behavioral Economics, concludes that generally people are most productive in the morning for two hours after fully waking. Don’t waste your most productive time from New Republic.
We can’t store much in our memory, and it drains energy if we try. We can only remember about 7 things (plus or minus two)- research at wikipedia.
We’re much more likely to do something when we write down when and where we will do it-theweek.com.
We tend to under-estimate how much time tasks will take-Wikipedia.

Breaks

Breaks that follow a rhythm are best- Want to Get More Done? from Success magazine.
Tony Schwartz, CEO of the Energy Project, suggests the Ultradian rhythm: 90 minutes of work followed by a 15 minute break -idonethis.com.
The Pomodoro Technique: 24 minutes of work followed by a 5 minute break.
The Draugiem Group Study showed the most productive people worked 52 minutes followed by a 17 minute break. The Exact Amount of Time You Should Work Every Day from Fast Company, Want to Get More Done? from Success Magazine, and Use the 52/17 Rule at 99u.
Peter Bregman advocates a short break each hour, which is backed up by a 2016 study.

Multi-tasking

IQ drops an average of 10 points while multi-tasking-Forbes.
We’re not nearly so good at multi-tasking as we think: research from npr.

Interruptions

It takes an average of 25 minutes to refocus after an interruption: A Focus on Distraction from the NY Times.
A task takes 25% longer to complete if we are interrupted-hbr.org.
Knowledge workers spend 28% of their time on email-www.bakadesuyo.com.

Workspace

The Ideal Office at Huffington Post
How to Deal with an Open Office from success.com
Optimize environment with sound, temperature and lighting- Bufferapp.
Ambient noise of about 70 decibels is helpful: Working From Coffee Shops Could be Destroying Your Productivity from homeofficehero.com
The Best Music for Productivity from businessinsider
Ergonomic Workspace Guide from mayo clinic

95% of us need 7-8 hours of sleep-Wikipedia.

Time Use

Charts from the American Time Use Survey from the Department of Labor
Wasting Time at Work Survey from salary.com
The Simple Science of Getting More Done (in less time) from Sparring Mind

The Daily PlanIt Keep It Super Simple (K.I.S.S.) System for Productivity

Posted on March 2, 2015 by dailyplanit

The Daily PlanIt Keep It Super Simple (K.I.S.S.) System is super simple, super easy, and super flexible. And it’s free! The K.I.S.S. System:

Combines the benefits of both electronic and paper systems
Is accessible and synced across all electronic tools wherever you are: computer, smartphone and tablet
Has the ability to include repeating or recurring tasks for both work and home
Includes goals and projects for both work and personal life
Is fully customizable for your life
Can follow Getting Things Done (GTD) principles
Allows printing of the calendar, To-do list, and other lists if desired

The K.I.S.S. system is based primarily on Google: Google Calendar, Google Keep, Google Docs, and Google Tasks.

Here is a brief view of the K.I.S.S. System, and a printable version of the Keep It Super Simple System pdf:

KISSdiagram

Google Calendar + Tasks to add/delete tasks @ computer. Syncs with To-Do apps
Google Keep – can be used for a simple to do list, handy for quick notes and idea capture
Google Drive + Docs for more permanent lists and information
Gmail – if you use Gmail, you can add an email to the tasks list
Google Chrome Browser. Makeuseof.com shares Chrome extensions for productivity
Google Tasks has a lot more functionality nowadays. To-Do apps that I have used in the past: My Tasks and GTasks. Learn more about apps for productivity.

With Google Keep, you can make a to do list, plus other lists, and quick temporary notes. If you want more to do list features, you can use Google Tasks (or another to do app). With Google Docs in Google Drive, you can create the more permanent lists you need: Goal and Project Master Lists, value statement, and more. If you follow the GTD system, you can set your lists up for that. The Evernote app is also popular for keeping lists, but Google Drive works great for me. Create a system that works for you from the K.I.S.S. System or whatever works for you. Share your system at the Daily PlanIt Facebook page.

Learn more about increasing productivity with the free Time Management 101 Tutorial.

Tagged with: apps, Google
Posted in productivity, videos

Getting the Important Stuff Done

Posted on February 23, 2015 by dailyplanit

“Doing work that matters is much harder than doing work that doesn’t.” – Peter Bregman, author of “18 Minutes.”

The important work that we say that we want to do is often hard. It’s so much easier to fritter away time on things that don’t matter like Facebook, Pinterest, or Farmville. These easy distractions give us an immediate pay-off which is hard to resist. The long-term pay-off of pursuing our goals is much more valuable, but also much farther away.

Once the important and urgent DAM CRAP from Stephen R Covey’s Time Management Matrix are out of the way, it’s time to include the VIP AIMS in the important but not urgent quadrant. This include things like planning, clarifying values, and relationship building. These are the activities we should spend more time on, but that often fall by the wayside, pushed aside by more trivial matters. Take these steps to overcome the pitfalls and get important stuff done.

10 Ways to Get the Important Stuff Done

10 Tactics for accomplishing important work:

Don’t overlook your goals when choosing your Most Important Tasks (MITs) for the day

Important tasks can be routine work, like the report that is due today and repeating tasks like the car that needs an oil change. Important activities are also in the important but not urgent quadrant of the time management matrix, but without a deadline they can often be easily postponed. Take time to pursue purpose and practice activities that increase happiness and well-being.

Tackle important work at the best time

It’s best to work on tasks that require thought and creativity when you have the most energy, usually in the morning. Don’t waste your most productive time. Short hourly breaks may work the best. (see more about the Science of Productivity)

Remember the benefits

Consider the consequences if it is not done, and the benefits of accomplishing it.

Make it easy

In his book and TED Talk, Peter Bregman uses an example to illustrate this. His family thought they would eat outdoors at a table, but found they never used it…until they moved it a little closer to their door. Make good habits easy, and bad habits hard.

KISS-Keep It Super Simple

Maybe you don’t need a complicated plan. Maybe you only need to know the first step. Some projects may be complex, but keep them as simple as possible. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.

Break it down

Big tasks can seem overwhelming unless they are broken down into smaller action steps.

Take one small step

Get started by telling yourself you will do just one small step. Often once inertia is overcome, it’s easy to keep the momentum going.

Get focused

Do an annual review to choose goals and areas of focus. The Energy Level Gauge is a simple tool that makes it easy to see which areas of your life need more attention.

Remind Yourself

Keep it visual, and keep it on your radar. Peter Bregman’s 18 minutes: 5 minutes in the morning to plan, 5 minutes in the evening to review, and a timer set hourly during the day to re-focus.

Schedule it

Assign a date and time in your calendar. In “18 Minutes,” Peter Bregman describes studies from the book “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz which reveal that deciding when and where we will do something makes it 80-100% more likely to be done.

Want to learn more? Read “18 Minutes” by Peter Bregman, download an excerpt, and watch his TED Talk, The Work Buffet.

More resources to learn about productivity: Time Management 101, master skills of productivity, learn about the study of productivity , with videos at Learn about Productivity, and courses at Skills Employers Want – Planning.

Posted in Books, goals, productivity

What I Have Learned About Love from the Movies

Posted on February 13, 2015 by dailyplanit

Something’s Gotta Give is one of my favorite romantic comedies. I’ve watched it many times and know almost all the lines by heart. Diane Keaton somehow makes having a broken heart funny in her crying scene. One of the lessons of the movie is this: the heart wants what the heart wants. But the lines below are among the most powerful.

Marin: Are you crying?

Erica Barry: Yeah. It’s my new thing. I’ve gotten abnormally brilliant at it.

Marin: Why? What is it?

Erica Barry: I’m in love. Ain’t it great? Seems like I gotta learn how to that… love-them-and-leave-them stuff, you know?

Marin: Oh mom, I hate this. Now do you get my theory about all this? You gotta self-protect.

Erica Barry: You don’t really buy this stuff you say, do you? You don’t actually think that you can outsmart getting hurt?

Marin: I think it’s worth trying.

Erica Barry: Listen to me. You can’t hide from love for the rest of your life because maybe it won’t work out… maybe you’ll become unglued? It’s just not a way to live.

Marin: Are you telling me this is good? What’s happened to you?

Erica Barry: I think you should consider the possibility that you and I are more alike than you realize. I let someone in, and I had the time of my life.

Marin: I’ve never had the time of my life.

Erica Barry: I know, baby. And I say this from the deepest part of my heart. What are you waiting for?

The lesson: In romance, you have to take a risk. Yes, there may be pain. But if you see a chance, take it. Here’s a few more things I’ve learned about love from the movies:

“Love is a gift, Alex, not an obligation.” –Fools Rush In

“You are what you love, not what loves you.” –Adaptation

“The greatest thing you’ll ever know, is just to love, and be loved in return.” –Moulin Rouge

A few more:

Murphy’s Romance: Age is just a number.
Overboard: Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.
Indecent Proposal: don’t go off with Robert Redford, no matter how much money he offers you.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: you can’t wipe out the bad memories, without wiping out the good memories.
The Painted Veil: Sometimes love grows when you least expect it.

And Samantha in the television show Sex and the City:

“I love you, but I love me more.”

What have you learned about love at the movies? Let us know at the Daily PlanIt Facebook page!

Posted in love & relationships

Time Perspective and Happiness

Posted on February 9, 2015 by dailyplanit

In my search for videos to learn more about productivity, I came across this short TED Talk by Philip Zimbardo called “The Psychology of Time.” Philip Zimbardo is the author of the book The Time Paradox, and founder of the Heroic Imagination Project.

An animated version of the Secret Powers of Time at the RSA

And a longer version at the RSA

The Positive Present and the ability to shift

As the above graphic from “Time Perspective” shows, Zimbardo describes the Present time perspective as Hedonism or Fatalism. But when I apply the ideas of time perspective to the Happiness Habits identified by Positive Psychology, the majority have a primary focus on the present, in a positive way.

Primarily Present Happiness Habits:

Breathing
Meditation
In Flow
Share
Uplift
Noticing

Primarily Future: Aspire

Both Present and Future: Exercise. (We exercise in the present, often with a goal for the future.)

Both Present and Past: Gratitude

A mixture of Present, Past, and Future:

Emotional awareness
Relating

Tal Ben Shahar’s model of happiness describes four different states of mind related to time perspectives. These four states correspond with those (in parentheses) described by Vishen Lakhiani in his book, “The Code of the Extraordinary Mind.”

The ability to delay gratification and shift our attention between the different time perspectives has a big impact on happiness and success. An article about the effects of time perspectives on goal attainment at the National Library of Medicine. What do you think? Let us know at the Daily PlanIt Facebook page.

Posted in personal development, productivity

How I use Google Drive for Lists

Posted on February 2, 2015 by dailyplanit

Lists are an important part of any time management system. Some people enjoy using paper planners or notebooks. For an electronic system, there are different options available for lists: and Evernote is very popular. The Keep It Super Simple System has a combination of Google Tasks and the app Tasks & To-do for Google Tasks. I now simply use Google Keep for many of my lists that frequently change, and use Google Drive for lists that don’t change as much.

Lists to add to a system:

• To do Today – Keep it simple! So you may also want lists for: To do next, later, tomorrow, this week, or this month

• Repeating or recurring tasks

• Ideas – capture them!

• Getting Things Done (GTD) lists: next actions, projects, waiting for, and someday/maybe. (I prefer different terminology)

• Get a Planner Checklist

• Establish a Daily Routine

• Review checklist for a Weekly Review

The following illustrations show how I organize folders and documents for the lists I keep in Google Drive.

I also have a folder with lists to capture Ideas. Your core value statement: mission statement or Unique Selling Proposition, is the central point from which goals, projects, and actions flow.

I find it really helps to have this where I can always review it.

This is what my Goal Master List looks like:

And here is my Project Master List:

Some lists for Today:

Some lists for Planning:

Google Drive is simple to set up, flexible and easy to use. You can create links and include photos, spreadsheets, and there are probably more options beyond what I’ve discovered. I think it’s a great way to keep the lists you need. Learn more about The Daily PlanIt Keep It Super Simple (K.I.S.S.) System for Productivity.

How do you manage lists? Let us know on our Facebook page. See more about how I manage my system and workspace.

Tagged with: Google Drive
Posted in productivity

Learn About Productivity

Posted on January 26, 2015 by dailyplanit

Productivity is a key skill that employers look for, but that is not often taught. The books and videos below are great resources to learn about productivity. Amazon affiliate links to books provide a small commission that helps support the Daily PlanIt.

Videos

Two great very short videos from Epipheo to get started.

In just under 10 minutes, the Penguin Prof condenses Randy Pausch’s longer lecture below that is aimed at college students but has helpful information for everyone.

Randy Pausch’s Lecture on Time Management is almost an hour and a half, time well spent.

TED Talks

David Allen TED Talk Art of Stress Free Productivity (Author of Getting Things Done)

“The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working” by Tony Schwartz, TED talk

“Making Ideas Happen” by Scott Belsky, TED Talk

Chris Bailey, author of “The Productivity Project,” talks about a more human approach to productivity.

See more TED talks about productivity and goals by speakers who are also authors at the Aspire Pinterest pathway.

A video series from Michael Sliwinski, founder of Nozbe, an app with a monthly fee after 30 days.

Step 1 Inbox-Clear Your Head at Productive Magazine
Step 2 Organize tasks into projects at Productive Magazine
Step 6 Contexts at Productive Magazine
Step 7 Manage Your Reference Material at Productive Magazine
Step 8 Review Your Systems Regularly at Productive Magazine
Step 9 Getting email to zero at Productive Magazine
Step 10 Getting Started at Productive Magazine
Michael Hyatt describes how he uses Nozbe for Task Management.

Brendan Burchard, author of “The Charge.” outlines how to use his one page productivity planner available at http://www.thechargebook.com/resources-downloads

A few more to check out at makeuseof.

The Daily PlanIt Productivity Youtube Playlist.

Learn more:

The Science of Productivity.
Explore the Time Management 101 Tutorial.
Increase Productivity with the Study of Productivity.
Read some of my favorite books about productivity.

Tagged with: productivity
Posted in productivity, videos

Daily Routine Checklist With Prayers and Quotes for the Day

Posted on January 19, 2015 by dailyplanit

We all need a schedule that fits our unique life: everyone has their own preferences and tasks to perform. Some prefer to exercise, shower or bathe in the morning, others in the evening. Checklists can help us remember everything that needs to be done. I recently powered up my daily routine with some favorite prayers and quotes for inspiration, various exercises scattered throughout the day, and music that fits that part of my day. Finding ways to add gratitude, meditation, and deep breathing on a daily basis helps to manage stress and increase happiness. I keep a copy in Google Drive so I can easily review it. These are some of my favorite prayers and quotes (pdf) for a daily routine checklist (pdf)

Wake Up!

Positive quotes:

“Every day is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.”
“What we are is God’s gift to us, What we become is our gift to God.” -Eleanor Powell
A grateful heart a garden is…plant seeds of gratitude, kindness & inspiration today.

Affirmations: “I will choose a positive attitude and thinking today. I will choose a growth mindset, and view problems as challenges. I will bravely be my authentic self and stretch beyond my comfort zone. I will project both strength and warmth. I will listen with attention and communicate with care. I will use my talents for a meaningful purpose. I will create meaningful memories with those I care about.

My morning prayer: “Thank You, God, for the opportunities of this new day. Grant me kindness and compassion for others, patience when dealing with any difficulties, strength to handle problems. Help me to grow and to be my best self.”

Listen to motivational or inspirational music

Morning Light Prayer

“For this new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends. For everything Thy goodness sends, Thank you, God.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Review value statement and vision board with photos of strengths

Morning

“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.” -William Arthur Ward

Get to work! I find listening to nature sounds or classical music that activates Alpha brain waves really helps me to access flow and maintain focus.
Listening to workout music while exercising makes it easier. [30 minutes of aerobic on the elliptical machine is vital to keep me feeling good, and 10:30 am works best for me]

Noon

You are the one [fellow] that has to decide
Whether you’ll do it, or toss it aside.
You are the one [fellow] who makes up your mind,
Whether you’ll try for the goal that’s afar
Or be contented to stay where you are.
Take it or leave it. Here’s something to do!
Just think it over. It’s all up to you.

-Edgar Guest

De-stress with meditation and deep breathing

Afternoon

Be a torch or be a spark.

Be a candle in the dark.

Be a sunbeam or a star.

Be the shining light you are.

Evening

Have You Earned Your Tomorrow by Edgar Guest

Is anybody happier because you passed his way? Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today? This day that’s almost over, did you use its moments well or will the angel’s record a tale of trouble tell? Did you waste the day, or save it? Was it well, or poorly spent? Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent? As you close your eyes in slumber, do you hear the angel say, “You have earned one more tomorrow by the way you lived today”?

Create meaningful memories with good conversation during a family meal.
Lift weights and do posture exercises when watching tv [neck strengthening exercises are crucial to keep me feeling good, and a short simple weight lifting routine with dumbbells is another goal]

My evening prayer: “Thank you, God, for the gift of this day. Thank you for your loving care, and for always being by my side.”

Two prayers and a song I find comforting: What God Hath Promised (see below), a Child’s Evening Hymn, and The Prayer sung by Josh Groban and Charlotte Church.

See more details about my daily routine, and how to Run Your Day Like an Athlete.

Tagged with: prayer, routine
Posted in Ideas That Work, quotes

Benefits of 11 Happiness Habits in Infographics

Posted on January 10, 2015 by dailyplanit

Learn how to follow the BE MEASURING building blocks of positive shift with resources at the Positive Shift Happens Toolkit. To see the benefits, just click on each of the images below to see the full infographic.