There’s a new meme going around the blogosphere that asks people to list their best productivity tips. Here are some of mine:

1. Choose short, focused periods of uninterrupted time. I do best when I shut off email, disconnect from the internet, and turn off the phone for an hour or so. (I talked about this here.)
2. If it can be done now, do it. If you find something that will take you less than 5 minutes to complete, do it now rather than putting it off until later. It’s always tempting to wait until later to reply to that email or send off that letter or calling that client, but by doing it now, you get it off your plate and don’t need to remember to do it later.
3. Ask yourself “Is this the best use of my time?” I’ve been using this philosophy more as I try to cut back on the number of email newsletter I get, magazines I subscribe to and blogs I read. It’s just not worth the time to continue reading these if they only occasionally offer me something of value. Similarly, there are a number of things I’ve been reading solely for entertainment purposes (and excuses to procrastinate) that really don’t enrich my life. I’ve been working to cut these out as I focuse on more valuable sources.
4. Consolidate and organize. I’m an obsessive information collector, which means I often collect various sources of similar information. Having an organized catalog system in place to tag things and file them away in their appropriate folders helps immensely. As one of my colleagues says, “make sure everything has a home.”
5. Keep an idea journal. I find it’s helpful to keep a journal of all the things I’d like to do, reflections on the day, and anything else I need to jot down during the course of a day. A journal helps me empty my thoughts into a trusted source so I have less to keep track of and am less likely to forget to do.
6. Use technology to your advantage. I use Google Reader to organize the blog feeds I read. I use Basecamp as a project management tool and ToDoist to keep track of daily to do lists. For me, it’s easier to have an electronic version rather than miscellaneous scraps of paper lying around.
7. Schedule down time. Cellphones, email, pagers, Blackberries, and Instant Messenger make it easy for anyone to contact you anytime but you’ll burnout quickly if you don’t schedule time for you and your family.
8. Focus on what makes you happy. Finally, all the productivity tips in the world won’t make you as productive as simply focusing your time and attention on the things you love to do. Focus on your strengths, your skills, your talents, and your expertise, rather than always hoping to improve your weaknesses.

Here is a list of websites participating in the meme. What are your top productivity tips?

Related Posts

• 7 Ways To Be More Productive
• Time Management 101 – Your Optimal Experience
• Time Management 101 – What Does Your Schedule Look Like?
• How to Motivate Yourself at Work