How to Choose the Best Productivity Enhancement Method for You
I’ve been reading and writing about productivity methods for years, and I’m continually amazed by their variety and number. There are so many of them (some, I admit, seem more “boring” to me than others), and while many would fit easily into my workflow, others make me think, “Wow, this just doesn’t fit me.”
Of course, I don’t personally use all the methods I’ve described, but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe in them. The point is that no method will work for everyone, and no one can use all methods simultaneously. The secret is to understand which method (or methods) might be right for you. It’s easy to learn about a method, convince yourself of its value, and decide to implement it, but if it doesn’t fully meet your needs, it probably won’t work as advertised. Instead of choosing a productivity method that seems good, it’s better to choose one that best suits you and your work style. Here’s what to pay attention to.
The best productivity method if you think visually…
If you need to visualize something to truly understand it—for example, if you prefer seeing graphs instead of reading statistics or numbers—there are effective productivity techniques. Perhaps the best is the “pickle jar” method , which suggests imagining your daily capacity as a jar holding a limited amount of rocks, pebbles, and sand.
Rocks represent your big tasks, pebbles represent important tasks that don’t require immediate attention, and sand represents small chores that help keep your day on track. You load rocks first, then pebbles, and finally sand to ensure you have enough time to do everything. You can draw a little diagram to help you prioritize your to-do list.
Essentially, the pickle jar is a simple and visual way to work with the 1-3-5 method , which recognizes that it’s impossible to do everything, so you need to be selective in your actions. The 1-3-5 method involves completing one major task, three medium ones, and five smaller ones each day.
Whether you’re imagining a jar full of junk or more methodically writing down a “1-3-5” to-do list, you may need help identifying which “rock”-sized task or which five smaller tasks fall under that task. This is where prioritization techniques come in, and in my opinion, the best ones are for visual thinkers. This approach, called the Eisenhower Matrix , helps you organize your to-do list by creating a diagram that shows which of your tasks are urgent, important, not urgent, and unimportant. Try it if you’re struggling with the pickle jar.
The best productivity method if you need motivation to get started…
Some productivity methods suggest simply identifying what needs to be done and then getting started. This isn’t for everyone. It certainly doesn’t work for me—I need a burst of motivation or a spark of energy to keep working on my to-do list. For people like me, I find the best options are “eat the frog” or the two-minute rule .
“Eat the frog” is a strange saying, but it boils down to tackling the most difficult, dreaded, or important task before anything else. The two-minute rule is similar, but it commits you to doing anything that takes less than two minutes as soon as it occurs to you. I use a combination of the two approaches: I try to get the most important task done early in the day, but I allow myself to tackle any task as soon as I’m motivated, provided it can be accomplished in a shorter timeframe.
In my experience, eating a frog works well for me because once I’ve completed the most important task, I feel such a sense of relief and pride in myself that everything else seems easy in comparison. If I can do something terrible, I can do anything . On the other hand, the opposite approach can yield similar results, so try the 10-minute rule if eating a frog seems daunting but you still need a little motivational boost. This method makes it easy to tackle all those little tasks that take 10 minutes or less, like answering emails or folding laundry, so you can focus on more important things. No matter how insignificant they are, little things can feel overwhelming and easy to put off. If you do all of these things in a way that doesn’t weigh you down, you’ll feel better and more prepared for everything else. There’s a slight difference between the two-minute rule and the 10-minute rule, so experiment with them all to see what works for you.
The best productivity method if you don’t feel connected to your work…
Everyday tasks can feel menial, and if you’re not the type to just get started and do what needs to be done, that can be a compelling reason to procrastinate. If you can’t justify afternoon cleaning or answering emails in the morning, you might be motivated by a goal. So try the Results Planning Method (RPM) , a method developed by famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins in his Time of Your Life program to be motivating, fast, and effective. This acronym not only stands for Rapid Planning Method, but can also serve as a guide to what your day should look like: results -oriented, goal-oriented , and built around a ” massive action plan.” You should constantly ask yourself what you want, what your goal is, and what you need to do to achieve it. You might not clean just because it’s the right time, but you’ll be more motivated if you think about a larger goal, like tidying up the house so you can invite friends over for dinner. Doing something just because isn’t motivating, and that’s okay.
Another way to feel connected to your tasks is to pay more attention to them. Ivy Lee’s method suggests writing down six tasks you need to complete the next day. Do this at the end of each workday (or in the evening, if the tasks involve household chores). By writing them down, you get them out of your head and know you’ll tackle them the next day, so you can relax, knowing you’ve already got half your plan ready to go by morning.
When I’m feeling disconnected from my own work, I write down a SMART goal . This means I take the time to create a plan that ‘s specific, measurable , actionable , relevant , and time -bound. By doing this, I force myself to think about my biggest long-term goals and then work backwards to determine what small steps I need to take to make them a reality within my timeframe. This works for me because, as I begin working on these steps, I keep the larger goal in mind; it helps me focus and connect with what I’m doing, even if it seems insignificant in the moment.
The best productivity method if you need a detailed plan…
When you’re eating a frog or writing down multiple tasks, you’re simply improvising, identifying the “big task,” and tackling it. But sometimes it’s helpful to have a detailed schedule. Here, I recommend the “3-3-3” method , but first, you’ll need to get out that old Eisenhower Matrix I mentioned earlier.
Once you’ve categorized everything, you can move on to the “3-3-3” method, which involves dedicating the first three hours of the day to deep work on your most important project, then three other urgent, quick tasks, and finishing with three tidying tasks. It’s a combination of eating a frog and visualizing a pickle jar, but it requires a fairly strict schedule to keep you on task.
Let’s talk about deep work for a second. Deep work is what happens when you’re in a state of flow, focused solely on one task, and undistracted. You’ll know you’ve achieved it when you feel like time flies. If you have trouble immersing yourself in it, there’s a technique for you. Actually, there are several, but they all revolve around the same idea. Try the Pomodoro Method , which has you work for 25 minutes, take a five-minute break, and then repeat this cycle until you’ve completed four rounds. Afterward, you’ll take a longer break. Ideally, use an app designed to time your work sessions and block other, more distracting apps. ( FocusPomo is my favorite.) If this doesn’t work for you, don’t give up. You can and should adjust your Pomodoro time to suit your needs if necessary. There are already Pomodoro spin-offs like Pomodoro 2.0 and animedoro , but feel free to experiment until you come up with your own.
The best way to improve productivity when you’re being pulled in too many directions…
Your life is complex. You’re not just an employee, but potentially a parent, spouse, friend, volunteer, freelancer, or simply an active recreationalist—not to mention who you are to yourself, whether you’re someone who prioritizes the gym or someone who can’t focus when the house is a mess. If you follow traditional productivity methods throughout the day, you may struggle to figure out which tasks in each area of your life are worth completing. Of course, work responsibilities, family matters, or personal obligations will inevitably fall by the wayside in favor of other things.
If this is holding you back, consider theming your days . Monday could be a day for all your work-related tasks, like answering emails or meeting. Tuesday could be a day you set aside for cleaning the house or cooking. Wednesday could be a day where you work on tasks for the board you’re on or a part-time job. Within this structure, you can use one of the methods above, such as 1-3-5, knowing that most of your tasks for that day will be related to a specific theme. This keeps you focused and in the zone, whatever that may be, each day, but also allows you to devote the necessary time to each area you’re involved in. No, it’s not perfect. Something from a non-themed day will eventually come up and need to be addressed. But the goal here isn’t to be strict about this. Rather, it’s to give yourself a general sense of direction for the entire week.