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A few people on my f-list are learning about Getting Things Done and other productivity systems, so I thought now would be a good time to mention my latest moves towards ending procrastination. Only then I saw this video of orphaned baby sloth and forgot about doing anything else. Look at them, busy being cute!
Where was I? Oh, yes, ending procrastination. So, Getting Things Done wasn't for me. It should be; I like a good list. But really, GTD is about getting things listed and I have no problems with that. I can list with the best of them. My problem is actually making myself sit down and do the things once I've written them on my list; or, extreme laziness.
So then I came across the Pomodoro Technique, which... on a side note, why do these productivity things have to sound so po-faced? It's a Technique or a System, and you can buy the book and download the associated worksheet and participate in the forum, when all they really need to do is say, 'Hey, this idea works for me, why don't you see if it works for you?'
Anyway, the Pomodoro Technique basically says: work on something for 25 minutes, take a break for five, lather, rinse, repeat. After four of the 25 minute bursts, take a longer break. There is a book and a lot of rules, but that's what it boils down to. I find it quite good for forcing myself to do the lengthy or repetitive tasks that I usually put off for as long as I can: editing the website or entering the monthly financial data, for instance. There's even a nice little clock app with the time increments built in. So that's how I'm keeping the procrastination at bay these days. Sort of.
Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.
Where was I? Oh, yes, ending procrastination. So, Getting Things Done wasn't for me. It should be; I like a good list. But really, GTD is about getting things listed and I have no problems with that. I can list with the best of them. My problem is actually making myself sit down and do the things once I've written them on my list; or, extreme laziness.
So then I came across the Pomodoro Technique, which... on a side note, why do these productivity things have to sound so po-faced? It's a Technique or a System, and you can buy the book and download the associated worksheet and participate in the forum, when all they really need to do is say, 'Hey, this idea works for me, why don't you see if it works for you?'
Anyway, the Pomodoro Technique basically says: work on something for 25 minutes, take a break for five, lather, rinse, repeat. After four of the 25 minute bursts, take a longer break. There is a book and a lot of rules, but that's what it boils down to. I find it quite good for forcing myself to do the lengthy or repetitive tasks that I usually put off for as long as I can: editing the website or entering the monthly financial data, for instance. There's even a nice little clock app with the time increments built in. So that's how I'm keeping the procrastination at bay these days. Sort of.