TL;DR: I created a video version of this post if you’d rather watch it than read it! ⤵️
If you want to learn how to be more productive here are 5 resources you need to check out:
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
One of my coworkers introduced me to the book Getting Things Done by David Allen a few years ago. After I read it, I totally embraced the Getting Things Done (or GTD) methodology in my work and my personal life.
In the book David Allen teaches you how to Capture all of your to dos efficiently. Then how to Clarify, Organize, Reflect, and Engage with them.
- Todoist app
I use Todoist to organize all of my “to-dos” and I won’t lie…my system is a little complicated. It took a lot of (basically) “programming” it to work the way I needed it to work along with the GTD practice. And then I had to program myself to properly use the system I had set up so it would work.
So I won’t get into the detail of that too much, but after using that system for many years, I realized I maybe got off track a little when it came to the “reflect” stage. I had started to let my to-dos pile up (virtually) to the point it was almost overwhelming.
So, although I LOVE Todoist, these next 3 resources are what have helped me get out of that to-do list black hole I found myself in.
- Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
I dabbled a little in The Miracle Morning practice last year, but I didn’t stick with it. This year I recommitted myself to it. Waking up early and focusing some time on Silence (or gratitude), Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading and Scripting (or journaling) helps me set the tone for the day and stay focused on my goals.
- Time Blocking
This year I started getting more disciplined with time blocking (which is encouraged in Getting Things Done by David Allen and also in The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod).
The time blocking has worked wonders for me! It’s amazing when you start blocking out the time needed to complete the things you need to do, you realize how limited your time really is. You start to understand why it’s so hard to get all the little things done throughout the day. It’s because there literally isn’t enough time in the day ! So then you get much better at focusing your time on the most important things you need to accomplish.
- The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
And finally, I started reading The Bullet Journal Method a few weeks ago. I am just starting to incorporate the Bullet Journal Method in my daily routine and it’s another tool I’m learning to use to help me get better at setting priorities and staying focused on the things that matter. I will share a review for that book soon.