{"id":699,"date":"2008-09-16T05:00:19","date_gmt":"2008-09-16T09:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/the-ultimate-productivity-habit\/"},"modified":"2013-08-19T08:36:40","modified_gmt":"2013-08-19T16:36:40","slug":"the-ultimate-productivity-habit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-productivity-habit\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Productivity Habit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I believe if something is important enough to remember, it\u2019s important enough to write down.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t just apply to random to-do tasks or events to put on your calendar.\u00a0 I write down goals, ideas, what I spend money on and useful thinking points from books.\u00a0 The reason to write isn\u2019t to keep records, but to be more aware.<\/p>\n

In the popular productivity bible, Getting Things Done<\/a>, Dave Allen suggests writing everything down on a notepad so you won\u2019t forget.\u00a0 The purpose, according to Allen, is to take the burden off your memory.\u00a0 While I think this is important, it only touches on one of the reasons to write things down.<\/p>\n

Writing Keeps You Aware<\/strong><\/p>\n

Writing focuses your thinking.\u00a0 When you write something down, you aren\u2019t just creating a paper record, you\u2019re changing the way you think about it.\u00a0 Writing down a goal changes a whim into a conviction.\u00a0 Writing down your expenses changes excessive spending from a bad habit to a conscious choice.\u00a0 Writing down your idea turns a vague suggestion into a clear concept.
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\nWriting is like an upgrade to your thinking.\u00a0 In the normal flow of thought, you can\u2019t edit typos and make adjustments.\u00a0 If you get distracted, it can be hard to return to your place.\u00a0 And since your short term memory is only about 5-9 items long, you can\u2019t think over more complex ideas.<\/p>\n

When you start writing things down, you have an upgraded level of thinking about them.\u00a0 Writing things down makes you more aware of opportunities and problems, like a temporary boost to your IQ.<\/p>\n

The Virtue Isn\u2019t in a Record<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over half the things I write down, I never look at again.\u00a0 For the other half, about three quarters of those, I\u2019ll only look at once or twice, usually briefly.\u00a0 Only a small amount of the things I write down are needed for keeping records I\u2019ll look at repeatedly.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re stuck in the record-keeping mindset, writing everything down won\u2019t make sense.\u00a0 It just doesn\u2019t seem practical to write down every idea, expense, meal or to-do item. But, if you appreciate the role writing plays in keeping you focused, you can see why it is valuable, even if you throw away the writing soon afterwards.<\/p>\n

What Should I Write Down?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Obviously you can\u2019t write down everything.\u00a0 You can\u2019t write down everything said in a conversation.\u00a0 Writing down everything you eat or everything you do can eat up a lot of time.\u00a0 Writing is valuable because it forces you to focus, so writing down everything would ruin the purpose.<\/p>\n

You should write down anything you feel needs more clarity.\u00a0 If your finances aren\u2019t doing well and you want more clarity, start writing down everything you spend money on and all of your income.\u00a0 If your studying habits need work, start writing down when you study, what you studied and for how long.\u00a0 If you keep getting distracted on important goals, write them down too.<\/p>\n

Writing is sort of a universal productivity tool.\u00a0 It can focus your thinking in just about anything, so using it frequently is a good way to stay focused.\u00a0 Even something as simple as writing down when you procrastinate can be enough to stop it.<\/p>\n

Where Do You Need to Focus?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If something is important and worth getting done, it is probably worth writing down.\u00a0 Ask yourself what things could use more focus in your life.\u00a0 Writing isn\u2019t an instant cure that will immediately make you more productive.\u00a0 But it makes you far more aware of what needs to be done and how well you are doing it.<\/p>\n

The first time I started writing out exactly what I needed to do, I finished three times as much work.\u00a0 When I started writing out my goals, I was able to focus on them far more than when they were just in my head.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also found writing down my expenses, how I use my time or what I eat to increase my awareness of any problems.<\/p>\n

If there is a part of your life that is unknown, inconsistent or in poor shape, you should consider writing more down about it.\u00a0 Write down ideas and make records while you\u2019re working on it, and spend time writing your thoughts when you\u2019re taking a break.\u00a0 If you can keep writing for a few weeks, it can reveal solutions to problems you didn\u2019t even realize you had before.<\/p>\n

I suggest committing yourself to writing something down for at least a month.\u00a0 Writing isn\u2019t a natural habit, we weren\u2019t born with the skill and it\u2019s one of the first pieces of technology we had developed.\u00a0 As a result, if you don\u2019t commit to continuing it for a few weeks, you probably will return to relying only on your short-term memory.\u00a0 Thinking is good, but writing plus thinking is even better.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t try to write down everything.\u00a0 Pick just a handful of things you want to keep your focus on.\u00a0 And if you\u2019re planning on making a commitment to write, you will probably want to write that down too.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I believe if something is important enough to remember, it\u2019s important enough to write down.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t just apply to random to-do tasks or events to put on your calendar.\u00a0 I write down goals, ideas, what I spend money on … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[23],"tags":[2554,2940,2939,4639,1365],"yoast_head":"\nThe Ultimate Productivity Habit - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Writing focuses your thinking. When you write something down, you aren\u2019t just creating a paper record, you\u2019re changing the way you think about it. Writing down a goal changes a whim into a conviction. Writing down your expenses changes excessive spending from a bad habit to a conscious choice. Writing down your idea turns a vague suggestion into a clear concept.n the popular productivity bible, Getting Things Done, Dave Allen suggests writing everything down on a notepad so you won\u2019t forget. The purpose, according to Allen, is to take the burden off your memory. 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