Two Productivity Techniques That Will Help You Do More (Without Actually Doing Less)
Not every productivity method is suitable for every person. That’s why there are so many of them , and why you need to take the time to figure out which ones might work for you, even if you have to change or adapt them a little . When you’re faced with a really big or overwhelming problem, the traditional methods you usually rely on may be useless. Why not try a one-two punch, combining the two to make it easier?
“One bite” technique.
First, let’s try the one-bite technique. This requires a little advance planning, but can really help you when a task seems daunting. Take a piece of paper (or use a digital document) and write down your task. Let’s say he holds a quarterly meeting at work. Then break it down into the smaller tasks that make it up, such as coordinating participants, setting the agenda, keeping the meeting facilities and space tidy, and keeping track of what is said during the meeting.
Then continue to sort it all out. Coordinating participants means not only sending out calendar invitations, but also determining who should receive them and being on the list of who has accepted and declined the invitation, as well as sending or scheduling meeting reminders to everyone. Setting an agenda means checking with speakers and staff about what they can present, as well as simply making a list of topics to cover and allocating the appropriate amount of time to each. Reviewing technology and meeting space means coordinating with IT, renting meeting space, making sure digital meeting space subscriptions are paid for, and ensuring there is enough seating for all participants. Keeping track of what is said includes assigning a moderator, setting up a recording system, and creating a schedule and workflow to ensure minutes are distributed to the necessary parties in a timely and efficient manner after the meeting ends.
Obviously, when you take responsibility for organizing a meeting, you know that’s all you’ll need to do, but if you look at the task as one big task – “getting the meeting done” – instead of deliberately breaking it . If you divide your responsibilities into smaller ones, you are more likely to become overwhelmed. This applies to everything from planning a vacation to cleaning the house. Learning to break tasks down into smaller “chunks” instead of just starting to work on a larger product will not only help you keep things running smoothly, but will also motivate you: when you see small tasks getting done, you’ll feel empowered completed and ready to continue working.
“Reverse Pomodoro” technique.
However, breaking down the “pieces” of your problem is not enough. You really need to complete the bites. When there is a lot to do, it can be difficult to force yourself to do it. If you were using a traditional productivity method like the Pomodoro Method , you would start by working for 25 minutes straight and then take a five-minute break. However, it can be scary. Honestly, 25 minutes is a lot when you’re stressed.
Instead, try the “reverse Pomodoro” method, which is similar to its namesake, except it’s modified. Instead of working for 25 minutes and taking a short break, you work for five and then take a long break. This may seem counterproductive since working for five minutes and resting for 20 or 25 means you have a lot of downtime, but it’s useful if you’re really having trouble getting into the flow of work. People who have tried this method praise it for helping them get rid of anxiety while working on a large project because, even though you have to rest a lot, the work gets done in those five minutes. In the end, completing a few tasks will make you feel better about the project as a whole. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly feel like you can do this for longer than five minutes at a time and slowly move into a more traditional Pomodoro structure to complete the task.
This is where you can get the most benefit by first breaking your task down into these small chunks and then doing one chunk for each reverse Pomodoro work slot. It takes five minutes to send a meeting invitation via email, and then a break. Five minutes to check technical connections in the conference room, then break. Five minutes to create a schedule and hand it out, then take a break. Focusing on downtime is not cheating, especially if you’re not productive enough when you’re trying to work for 25 minutes straight. It’s better to do something than nothing, and once you start doing it, you’ll feel motivated to reach the finish line.