{"id":36156,"date":"2015-10-17T07:37:03","date_gmt":"2015-10-17T15:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=36156"},"modified":"2015-10-19T21:33:08","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T05:33:08","slug":"one-tip-can-take-weekly-productivity-meh-magic-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/one-tip-can-take-weekly-productivity-meh-magic-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The One Tip That Can Take Your Weekly Productivity From ‘Meh’ to ‘Magic’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Thomas Edison said, \u201cBeing busy doesn\u2019t always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a lot of truth hidden in these few words. Especially for those who are constantly running to do more.<\/p>\n

Tell me\u2026.are you busy this week?<\/p>\n

I am sure you are nodding your head in affirmation!<\/p>\n

Were you busy last week?<\/p>\n

That nod again. Good!<\/p>\n

So how are you feeling about yourself? Great? On top of the world? Raring to do even more?<\/p>\n

No?<\/p>\n

How can that be? You were\u00a0busy<\/em>! You didn\u2019t waste any time. \u00a0You were constantly swatting at the distractions! You ought to be bubbling with a sense of achievement and marvelling at your competence!<\/p>\n

If this pillar to post lifestyle is not giving you an adrenaline high and the self esteem to scream \u2018I am King of the World\u2019, something is wrong! You are busy and overwhelmed alright. But you are NOT productive.<\/p>\n

What is Real Productivity?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Productivity is that zone where you feel alive, excited and capable. Where every fiber of your being is singing with the fact that you are getting something done! And that too without squandering your precious mental bandwidth grappling with the urgent instead of the important.<\/p>\n

Productivity in short is doing the right thing at the right time with just the right effort for the absolute maximum return<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This insider\u2019s secret lets you eliminate frustration and embrace productivity on a permanent basis.<\/p>\n

The Silver Bullet: For Stress Monsters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I love this practice so much that I call it my silver bullet – a compact solution to combat a great many sources of tension, anxiety and confusion.<\/p>\n

It’s the fourth\u00a0step of David Allen’s, Getting Things Done Methodology.\u00a0 It is known as the \u2018Weekly Review\u2019.<\/p>\n

Once you are committed to conducting a review every 7 days, you will feel infallible, invincible and utterly in control. I am not exaggerating. Just try it for yourself.<\/p>\n

What is a Weekly Review and Why is it so Effective?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I always feel like a productivity ninja the day before I travel! \u00a0Have you felt that too?<\/p>\n

The reason is simple. Before we go on a trip, we force ourselves to inventory what we are leaving behind. The open loops, the incomplete project files, the undone shopping for the week and so on.<\/p>\n

Since we do not have a choice in the matter, we go ahead and \u2018process\u2019 or complete as many as we can so that we can board that flight with a clear conscience and snatch the 3 hours of sleep!!<\/p>\n

The Weekly Review is an iterative version of the same practice, done intentionally with a firm eye on the benefits to be had.<\/p>\n

The Weekly Review as the name suggests is an hour or two over which you prepare for the coming seven days by taking stock of:<\/p>\n

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  1. What has been wrapped to your satisfaction<\/li>\n
  2. What is incomplete and requires more effort<\/li>\n
  3. The new commitments and projects on the horizon<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s Break the Process Down into a Few Simple Steps<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    1.Getting Clear<\/strong>: We all have some collection points for our correspondences. It may be the mail box for you, is the email inbox for most and the in-trays for meticulous people like me. \u00a0Getting Clear simply refers to emptying out these collection points so that they are ready to receive the inputs of the coming week. Be careful when you \u2018get clear\u2019. Do not chuck away everything to the trash basket or hit delete.<\/p>\n

    Getting clear means:<\/p>\n