Hey everyone, hope you're doing well.
The productivity space has a problem, but it's really not anybody's fault.
When it comes to finding advice, there's a plethora of sources claiming the best study methods, the best task managers, or the best time management systems.
With ease, you can find yourself deep in a productivity rabbit hole, considering every acronym, method, and routine under the sun. You will receive your fair share of things like G.T.D., pomodoro timers, time blocking, T.E.A., the 2-Minute rule, the 2-Day rule, the Eisenhower Matrix, decision fatigue, and much, much more.
To make matters worse, this advice comes primarily from those who have figured out the systems and tools that best suit their lives, their values, and their workflow. Because of this, suggestions may contradict and values will differ from source to source.
So if there's an overwhelming amount of information, how and where should I start?
Just because sources can subjectively contradict doesn't mean they shouldn't be considered. These shared experiences are valid and can help point you in the right direction. Take some ideas, play with them, and see how it works.
There are four simple steps to help get you started on constructing a personal system: specify, experiment, reflect, and repeat.
First, specify the problem you want to solve on a piece of paper:
Can you be more organized?
Can you be more time efficient?
What is hindering you from your goals?
How are your energy levels throughout the day?
After you pinpoint a few changes you want to enact, start experimenting with components that could help:
Do you need a task manager to keep organized?
Do you use a pomodoro timer? How about time blocking to keep efficient?
Do you have a clear visual on your long-term goals? How's a periodic journal?
Are you eating well? Sleeping enough? What can improve your alertness as the day moves on?
Give it a week, two weeks, a month - any amount of time that allows you to get a feel for your new implementation. Then, on a consistent basis, take a few minutes to reflect:
How did this implementation help?
Did it make things easier or harder?
What will I do differently next time?
Once you decide to keep, discard, or reevaluate a component within your system, repeat the entire process and keep tabs on how you are performing. With time, this process will eventually mold a personalized model that represents the way you think and work.
No matter how many books we read, articles we skim, or videos we watch, no system works better than the ones we construct for ourselves. This process takes a lot of time, patience, and reflection to determine exactly what works for you.
It's not going to be easy, but it wouldn't be worth it if it was.
Consider this quote from Peter Drucker: what gets measured gets improved.
Thanks for reading.