Periodic Fable

1. Use a to-do list

I use a weekly list rather than a daily list and even then it is sometimes an “everything I have to do” list. There are several online tools that can help with making lists, including wrike.com, rememberthemilk.com and joesgoals.com (see previous post).

2. Prioritise

Do you really need to read that magazine, be on that mailing list? I used to be a news junkie but I have realised I don’t need to read everything on the BBC website – and if I do read a bit, I can keep it maybe for lunchtime…

Be realistic about the way information will date. If you don’t need that technical info today, by the time you do, it will probably have been updated or there’ll be a whole new solution.

3. Focus

Avoid flitting from one thing to another. The amount of information coming in can seem overwhelming. File it in pending – don’t process it until you have time. Don’t let the incoming information distract you from dealing with your current task. (So long as you don’t let the pending file pile up….) Set aside swathes of time to work on projects and don’t be distracted from your focus for that time.

4. Collect like stuff together

If you need to read things, collect them into a To Read folder (e.g., in your email) and set aside a regular time to glance through them. It can be a pleasant activity for that after-lunch drop.

5. Be SMART about your email:

Set up filters and logical folder structures: don’t keep everything in your in-box. Take a little time each day to deal with incoming email. Aim for “in-box zero”.

6. Have a routine

When facing a full inbox, new tweets, new forum posts, and an RSS reader with hundreds of unread items, it’s easy to get stressed out just wondering where to begin. So why not establish a routine? Answer email for an hour, blog for an hour, then carry on with the rest of your work… Your routine will not be the same as anyone else’s., but try to find one that works for you. I find that working out a weekly routine is better than daily because my days vary.

7. Refuse to be reactive

…do it tomorrow…

Resist the temptation to respond instantly to, e.g., emails and Twitter as soon as they pop in. It can be helpful to respond at specific times to your e-mail: this may be once in the morning and once in the afternoon and it may be once an hour is improvement for some of us addicts! One colleague used to only answer emails the day AFTER they came. He ignored them all day and had one marathon session when he got in every morning responding to people. I think that’s going a bit far for many people, as email is used to cancel and rearrange meetings and to pass on urgent information. But you will know what gaps you leave between checking without your life falling apart – then stick to it!

8. STOP!

Be able to stay stop when you realise you have strayed off the point or are procrastinating to avoid something. Don’t look at information that’s not relevant – how did I end up looking at Shaker websites yesterday? Not relevant to whatever I had started out looking for!

9. Backup and organise

Backup and organise the files and folders on your computer – have your paper filing system related to your file system and your email inbox filing system. Using the same categories for each gives you immediate control when you’re trying to find something. When you have the right categories – make sure you use them.

10. Turn off

Turn off the phone and the Internet when you need to concentrate. And when you’re at home don’t be tempted (and I’m the worst culprit here) to check your email and your RSS feeds and your Twitter messages every time there’s a break in the TV programme or you go past the door of the room where the computer is.

Originally published on reachfurther.com