Nicholas Bate

Productivity Re-boot 5

You need records.

Records of the things to which you wish to give attention. That’s what.

And a huge (ideally wall planner) diary of when they will be done. 

Much productivity is about dexterous scheduling: squeezing the what into the when.

There is never enough time today. But there is enough time; the universe is that accommodating. 

Always more in You, Only Better and Meet Molly.

 

Sunday Decisions 7

1. What's going to change?
2. What's to be read?
3. What's finally going to end?
4. What needs a refresh?
5. What's so obvious it's been ignored and must be addressed?
6. What needs some reflection time?
7. What needs to start today?

On Writing, 18

Write whenever and wherever you can; you have no idea when or where the breakthroughs will occur. 

Productivity Re-Boot 4

Something which is urgent and thus distracting you from something important is often a sign of a broken system.

The client agreement was not thrashed out fully.

The boiler annual service was not done.

The daily walk routine has been neglected.

Make fixing that broken system important; get it on the daily timetable. And then much which is urgent and distracting will vanish.

Thursday Melange, 40

1. 25 Mini Standards.
2. The Writing Primer.
3. Meet Molly is now out. A love story. A parable. A good read. ”This book is a must read. To be savoured.” And the sequel just out. 
4. How to Start your Very Own Business.
5. Instant Productivity.
6. Seven choices.
7. 22 Essentials.
8. How to Create your Covid-19 Home Office.
9. plus The Start Up Myths
10. Stay STRONG
11. Crazy Bold Experiments
12. Just say NO to PPT
13. Post Covid Business Essentials.
14. The Marketing Primer.
15. You, Only Better, the book. 
16. Redundancy
17. Covid-19, 101
18. Hunter-Gatherer 21C
19. Tackling Stress.
20. Manage that career
21. Be Bold 101
22. You still haven’t read Being The Best?! 
23. Things They Don’t Teach at Business School
24. the secrets of success
25. Life Tips 101
26. Zen & Art of Cubicle Freedom
27. Be Bold 101
28. Carnage At Kodak
29. The Very Best Drugs You Need
30. Billions of Light Years Away In Another Galaxy
31. 22 Routes To Your Non Fiction Book
32. Lists For The Life You Love
33. Her Notes To Herself
34. How To Lessen E-Mail Pain
35. Professionalism 101
36. 21 Ways to Improve your Zoom Conference Call.
37. Productivity Primer
38. 101, redux.
39. Christmas Presents 2021, solved. 
40. The Basic Basics.

Productivity Re-boot, 3

Distractions have to go.

Seriously, they have to go.

To where? Their place: which is not near you when you are trying to harness the power of your universe-given gift of attention.

From cookie jars to Twitter feeds their place is not at your elbow; it’s in a dark, locked cupboard with a time dependent lock.

Seriously. Otherwise your work will focus on the trivial many and not the vital few.

Always more in You, Only Better and Meet Molly.

Productivity Re-boot, 2

Daily.

If you do it daily, you are less likely to forget. Muscle memory of mind and body helps. The power of ‘activity batching’ helps.

But is every day too much? To write every day? To ‘get fit’ every day?

No, it’s perfect. With your writing, some days are knock out the words. Some days are close editing. Some days are working on a pivotal scene. With the gym, some days are CV intensive , some days are strength, some days are working on an injury or mobility or technique. 

Daily gets the right things done. 

Productivity Re-Boot 1

There is unlikely to be enough time for all you want to do.

A first strategy to ensure the best possible chance that all you wish to be addressed, is addressed, is the timetable.

Yes, just like school. Just like college. A day, a time, a subject. 

It worked remarkably well then, it will now. Timetable: the gym, your writing, the weekly shop, time out, business planning, batch bread making, reading…..

TBC.

 

Always Helpful, 93

The long hike: the long views, the long reflection, the long absence of notification. 

It’s that time, that day. Tidying the flat, 7

1. Every Saturday: it's a mini mission. Move stealthily from room to room with a refuse bag....
2. Is it useful?
3. No: it goes.
4. Yes: where's its place?
5. Is it beautiful?
6. No: it goes.
7. Yes: where's its place?