Productivity – HabitHacks

Productivity – HabitHacks https://blog.lift.do The power of small changes to make big results Sat, 22 Jul 2023 07:24:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://blog.lift.do/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-Screenshot-1-32x32.png Productivity – HabitHacks https://blog.lift.do 32 32 The Most Inspiring Quotes From The 32 Best Self-Help Books of All Time https://blog.lift.do/the-most-inspiring-quotes-from-the-32-best-self-help-books-of-all-time/ Sat, 14 May 2022 09:08:47 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=3380 Read ]]> Get your daily dose of motivation from our exhaustive list of quotes.

]]> 43 Tools to Be Cure Procrastination and be More Productive https://blog.lift.do/43-tools-to-be-cure-procrastination-and-be-more-productive/ Sat, 24 Jul 2021 10:42:06 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2283 Read ]]>

Please tell me you read the goal-setting section. Otherwise, productive just means busy, and there’s no value in that. To what end do you care about productivity?

My own goals for productivity include things like having a positive impact and making money. But they also include goals like being able to say on Saturday, “I didn’t work on productivity all week just to have to work on the weekend.”

Productivity Tactics

Hacks, tips, assessments — there’s a ton you can do to maximize your productivity.

Finding Your Right Productivity Style for People Who Resist Productivity Advice ~Liz Sumner

Systems:

Skills & Habits:

Counterintuitively, productivity doesn’t mean working all the time:

Taking Intentional Breaks at Work ~Marta Brzosko

Delegation:

How to Hire and Train a Virtual Assistant to Multiply Your Time ~Richard Phu

A case study in tracking your time:

Lessons Learned From Tracking (Almost) Every Hour in My Year ~Willem van Zyl

Cure Technology Distraction

This section has a lot of articles because technology distraction is so pervasive. You basically have to go device-by-device and service-by-service until they’re set up to allow you time to focus.

The most important rule is that technology should be your tool, not your boss. I’m partial to my own article as a starting point. It’s a 75-minute read, which should signal that it’s thorough. But I also hope readers see the length and clue into how much work they have ahead of them to reclaim their lives.

How to Configure Your iPhone to Work For You, Not Against You ~Coach Tony

For Android owners, try this article:

How to Create a Zen Experience On Your Android ~Chris Jennings

Given that my iPhone-specific tutorial is so long and extreme, you should also consider the following shorter tactics:

A lot of tech distraction comes down to social media apps. The articles below have you either change their settings or give them up entirely.

Our computers have the same distractions as our phones. But so far, we just have this one article:

How to Setup Your Mac for Focused Work ~Niklas Göke

Sometimes the technology distraction has a real human being behind it:

The Complete Guide to Dealing with Online Trolls ~Ragen Chastain

Cure Procrastination

The roots of procrastination start in the emotional centers of our brain. Normally, we won’t even notice the subconscious emotions that trigger it. Thankfully, there are a number of tested tactics to reduce and maybe even cure procrastination.

This series starts with the world’s leading researcher in procrastination, followed by applied tactics from top coaches, and then ends with a science fiction piece about what would happen if we could design a device that would apply these tactics for us.

Use Your Tech Tools More Productively

The following are skills to help you use your tools more productively.

If you’re on a Mac:

How to Move Around Your Mac at the Speed of Light ~Niklas Göke

If you’re on Windows:

How to Configure Your Windows Global Hotkeys ~George Halachev

Different ways to use your web browser:

Even more tools:

For your phone:

Office Design for Productivity & Creativity

A four-part series from an architect who specializes in applying scientific research on productivity, creativity, and flow. All by Donald M. Rattner, AIA

]]> Do Habit Tracker Apps Really Work? https://blog.lift.do/do-habit-tracker-apps-really-work/ Sat, 26 Jun 2021 19:20:39 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2257 Read ]]> Habit tracker apps are extremely useful when you are trying to build a new habit or break out of an old one.

Sure, you can track other aspects of the habit in terms of how much progress you have made. But tracking your consistency is also valuable. No matter where you are in your journey of incorporating the new habit into your daily routine, an occasional pat on the back for sticking to your goals is important.

This is where a habit tracker comes in.

Mark the days where you stuck to your new habit, and soon, you’ll get addicted to seeing the streak going on. There’s something magical about having an unbroken streak. It can make you feel accomplished and motivated to keep working.

One of the best habit tracker apps on the app store is the Coach.Me app. If you are wondering whether or not this app is useful, here are some amazing reviews of the Coach.Me app:

“Wish I would have met my coach Will years ago! I am literally 3 times more effective and productive than I used to be.” ~ Dan

“Before my coach Josh, the idea of bounding out of bed early in the morning was a dream and something I had tried and failed at for years. Josh broke it down into very simple steps. I am now sleeping better, getting up early consistently and the biggest breakthrough is getting up is now easy.” ~Jess

“Without being able to press that ‘Send Message’ button to my coach every day, I am certain I would not have come as far with my writing. With that momentum, I managed to write 500 words nearly every day, started a blog, and am still going. It’s been only 3 months, and I feel like a new person.” ~ Alina

“I got a promotion literally two weeks after hiring my business coach. Now I have a much bigger say over product and strategy. I feel like a leader and people treat me accordingly!” ~ Graham

“Dorothy has been so inspirational to me and gives me the reasoning and a solution to any problem I have had on the diet. With her coaching, I lost 20 pounds and now have the habits in place to lose the next 20 on my own. I might keep her around, however, just for the support and occasional kick in the butt.” ~ Estela

“I get more done before my family wakes up than I used to in an entire day. After countless attempts to do this on my own, hiring George as a coach was the lever I needed to shift my productivity fast forward. I’ve been successful because George helped me create a morning routine that works specifically for me.” ~ Jim

Download it for your iPhone here.

If you are looking for more habit tracker apps to download for your iPhone, you can check out the 5 Most Popular FREE Habit Tracking Apps in the Apple App Store here.5 Most Popular FREE Habit Tracking Apps in the Apple App Store – HabitHacks

]]> 5 Most Popular FREE Habit Tracking Apps in the Apple App Store https://blog.lift.do/5-most-popular-free-habit-tracking-apps-in-the-apple-app-store/ Sat, 26 Jun 2021 18:56:39 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2254 Read ]]>

If you are trying to build a new habit or get rid of an old one, tracking your progress on the calendar can be a huge motivating factor on your journey. If you mark the days on the calendar where you managed to successfully stick to your new habit, you’ll soon see a streak. The longer you build the streak, the harder it will become for you to break it.

That’s where habit tracker apps come in. They serve as an incredible self-accountability check and can help you boost your motivation to stick to your new habit.

This post contains a list of the five most popular FREE habit tracking apps on the Apple App Store. Do you spot any favorites? Let us know in the comments below.

1. Coach.Me

As the description reads, Coach.me will completely change your life!

Start with our world-class goal and habit tracking. Our free tracking tools will change your life. If you get stuck in your goals, get motivated by our community or hire one of our world-class coaches.

Every aspect of our app and community is focused on helping you achieve mastery. From day one, we show you your progress, celebrate your milestones, and answer your questions. Honestly, we should be charging you $500 just to be a member, but 90% of our tools are completely free to you.

Every aspect of our experience has been designed based on the latest research on psychology and behavior design. We are huge fans of Carol Dweck, Daniel Kahneman and BJ Fogg. If you join our community you will develop a growth mindset, learn the power of positive reinforcement, experience the motivational force of external accountability, and harness your improvement efforts in an efficient way according to the tenants of deliberate practice.

Some positive reviews

“Wish I would have met my coach Will years ago! I am literally 3 times more effective and productive than I used to be.” ~ Dan
“Before my coach Josh, the idea of bounding out of bed early in the morning was a dream and something I had tried and failed at for years. Josh broke it down into very simple steps. I am now sleeping better, getting up early consistently and the biggest breakthrough is getting up is now easy.” ~Jess
“Without being able to press that ‘Send Message’ button to my coach every day, I am certain I would not have come as far with my writing. With that momentum, I managed to write 500 words nearly every day, started a blog, and am still going. It’s been only 3 months, and I feel like a new person.” ~ Alina

Install the app here.

2. Productive — Habit Tracker

As the description on the App Store reads, “Productive is a free and easy-to-use tool that helps you build a routine of positive, life changing habits. Set personal goals, track your progress, and motivate yourself to achieve new heights!

What can you do with the Productive app?

– Plan your habits with an easy-to-use interface

– Schedule habits for any time of the day

– Set smart reminders for each time of the day

– Stay on track with useful feedback

Why should you download the Productive app?

SIMPLICITY: The clear and beautiful interface is intuitive and easy to use and will help you stay focused and determined to build new habits and reach new goals.

PERSONAL AND REAL-TIME CHALLENGES: Improve your daily routine by completing guided tasks or competing with other users from all over the world.

STATISTICS: Track your habits and analyze progress — build motivating chains of completed habits and perfect days. The longer your chain of completed habits, the more likely you will keep the streak going.”

Some positive reviews

“This app is great for building daily habits, the concept is the gamification of habits. The scheduling works the way I want and it is intuitive.”~ Juan Leonard
“Productive is really well made, it’s intuitive and very low friction. Does what it does and does so brilliantly. Kudos to the team, it is certainly helping change my life, habit by habit.” ~ Vishesh
“I always want to build good habits but struggled to organize myself in a way which helps me to sustain the habits and achieve my personal and professional goals. This app helped me to not only go build good habit but also stay on track consistently.” ~ Deepak

Install the app here.

3. Strides: Goal & Habit Tracker

As their description on the app store says, “Track all your Goals & Habits in one flexible app. With Strides you can track anything — good or bad habits and SMART goals — with reminders to hold you accountable and charts to keep you motivated.

Recommended in The New York Times, Strides has been called “the most comprehensive, user-friendly, beautifully designed goal tracking app available.”

Imagine having all of your most important habits, routines, and goals together in one simple to-do list. Now you can.

Track anything you want with four types:

Track good or bad Habits with a streak calendar.
Reach your Target goal value by a specific date.
Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or rolling Average.
Complete a Project on time with milestones.”

Some positive reviews

“I’ve used almost every habit tracking app, but this one seems too versatile in terms of tracking data.” ~ Vinod.
“It is the only app which allows you to add 7 habits which is the most in any of the free apps and everything works great and it can really improve your life if used right. Kudos to the developers.” ~ Chja
“The features of this app are perfectly fitted to everyone’s needs and the Variety of things you can monitor using this is what makes it stand out.” ~ Bharath.

Install the app here.

4. Habit — Daily Tracker

As their app store description says, “Daily Habit Tracker is a stylish goal-tracking app that nudges you to ensure you hit your targets.

Tick off your task every time you do it, and Habit will give you a percentage success rate. The more you use it and the more disciplined you are the higher your success rate and the better your progress report. You can also view this data at a glance on a graph. The app is completely free to use!

Why more than 900,000 users choose Daily Habit Tracker?

You don’t need to pay a penny to start building great habits.
Ad-free. We hate ads & don’t want to bother our users
Stats & Graphs. Track a clear overview of your progress.
Reminders. Receive a friendly notification on time.
Motivate yourself. Add motivation quotes to your habits.”

Some positive reviews

“This is the only habit tracker app out there that I find useful because of its simple and intuitive interface.” ~ Nag
“The simplistic and extremely user-friendly interface of the app makes it very versatile and simple to use. Would highly recommend it.” ~ Vartika
“It’s one of the best habit tracking apps out there. Well thought out features like timely reminders and custom motivations help a lot when building a habit.” ~ Sarveshwar

Install the app here.

5. Simple Habit Tracker

As their app store description claims, “Simple Habit Tracker helps you to build good habits routine and change your life!

New Year Resolution is the perfect opportunity to plan and build positive life-changing habits and Make 2020 Your Best Year Ever!”

Some positive reviews

“I have tried almost 12+ habit trackers. This is the only free app which gives you a way to track more than 3 habits a day.” ~ Gopi
“I’ve tried so many habit trackers and this is the only one that’s free. For people who haven’t tried it please try it now I finally am following the habits I once wanted to.” ~ Blitz
“I have used dozens of habit tracking apps before but this one beats most of them with its simple and elegant design.” ~ Pramod

Install the app here.

]]> The Fogg Behavior Model or the B=MAP Model For Building Habits https://blog.lift.do/the-fogg-behavior-model-or-the-bmap-model-for-building-habits/ Sat, 29 May 2021 10:06:24 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2215 Read ]]> Everything you need to know about the Fogg Behavior Model to welcome transformation into your life and build lasting habits.

According to BJ Fogg, the founder of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, a behavior happens when motivation, ability, and a prompt converge simultaneously. This is known as the Fogg Behavior Model or B=MAP.

If you want to change your life, you’ll have to change your behaviors. There are only three simple variables that drive those behaviors. That’s where the B=MAP model comes in. It is the framework to understand and unlock the mystery of how habits take root in routines. It will help you adopt helpful habits and get rid of unhelpful ones. This post outlines the B=MAP model and lays down steps how you can apply it in your life to make room for transformative change.

The B=MAP Model

Behavior is the result of motivation, ability, and prompts taken at the same time. This is a simple formula that can lead to incredible results. In other words, a behavior is the result of:

Motivation, or your desire to execute the behavior.
Ability, i.e. your capacity to execute the behavior.
Prompt, or your cue to execute the behavior.

This is true for building a habit and breaking an old habit in equal measure.

“You can disrupt a behavior you don’t want by removing the prompt. This isn’t always easy, but removing the prompt is your best first move to stop a behavior from happening.” — BJ Fogg

The following sections will discuss each element of the B=MAP in detail and ay down actionable steps you can execute right away to welcome change into your life.

Motivation

Most people wrongly assume that motivation is all you need to successfully build a new habit. Fogg disagrees, stating that motivation is only one part of the equation. And as we all know. motivation is unreliable. It doesn’t last forever.

According to Fogg, there are three sources of motivation:

Yourself, i.e. what you know you want.
A reward or punishment you know you would receive if you complete the behavior.
The context, i.e. if people around you are doing it as well.

The best kinds of behaviors you can focus on are what Fogg calls “Golden Behaviors”. It has three elements, namely, it should be effective in realizing your aspiration, you should want to do the behavior, and you are fully capable of executing it.

Ability

If you’re able to execute a behavior, you’ll not need much motivation to continue doing it. When you’re struggling to build a new habit, ask yourself what Fogg calls the Discovery Question: What is making this behavior hard to do?

This is not only an incredible exercise in self-reflection, but is also a helpful step towards solving your inability to build the habit. As Fogg’s research suggests, your answer to the Discovery Question could be a combination of the following (Fogg calls them Ability Factors):

Do you have enough time to do the behavior?
Do you have enough money to do the behavior?
Are you physically capable of doing the behavior?
Does the behavior require a lot of creative or mental energy?
Does the behavior fit into your current routine, or does it require you to make adjustments?

Another question you Fogg suggests you ask yourself is the Breakthrough Question: How can I make this behavior easier to do? There are only three answers to this, according to Fogg’s research:

Increase your skills. Research more on the habit you’re focussing. You should do this immediately when your motivation is high. This can be done by reading books, watching tutorial videos, or joining a group of likeminded people.
Get tools and resources that help you with the new habit.
Make the behavior tiny. Focus on the starter steps — one small habit you can do every day that will lead you towards your desired behavior. In case you are trying ot break a habit, you should taking the behavior you want and shrink it, one step at a time.

Prompts

Prompts are the triggers or cues that push you to start the habit. As per Fogg’s research, there are three types of prompts:

Person Prompts: When you rely on a prompt from within to start a behavior, for example, a sore back might prompt you to stand up and stretch. While useful, such prompts are unlikely to lead to lasting change as they are so unreliable.
Context Prompts: These are cues in your environment that urge you to take action, for example, an alarm clock or a notification on your phone. They are useful, but having too many to manage can lead to overwhelm.
Action Prompts: These are the most reliable type of prompts, and as Fogg defines, “a behavior you already do that can remind you to do a new habit you want to cultivate.” For example, an existing habit of making coffee for yourself ever morning can serve as a prompt to take your medications.

“Action Prompts are already embedded in your life so seamlessly and naturally that you don’t have to think about them.” — BJ Fogg

How to apply the B=MAP model

Fogg proposes a simple graph to help us understand how to build a new habit or behavior. Along the vertical axis is Motivation (M) which varies between High and Low. Along the horizontal axis is Ability (A) which varies between Hard to do and Easy to do. Then, the Prompt (P) lands either above or below a curved line on the graph, known as the “Action Line.”

The position of your Prompt in relation to the Action Line determines whether you’ll do a Behavior (B) or not.

In Fogg’s own words: “When a behavior is prompted above the Action Line, it happens. Suppose you have high motivation but no ability (you weigh 120 pounds, but you want to bench-press 500 pounds). You’re going to fall below the Action Line and feel frustrated when you are prompted. On the other hand, if you are capable of the behavior but have zero motivation, a prompt won’t get you to do the behavior; it will only be an annoyance. What causes the behavior to be above or below the line is a combination of motivation pushing up and the ability to move you to the right. Here’s a key insight: Behaviors that ultimately become habits will reliably fall above the Action Line.”

]]> Everything You Need to Know About Tiny Habits https://blog.lift.do/everything-you-need-to-know-about-tiny-habits/ Sat, 29 May 2021 08:09:31 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2212 Read ]]> What are tiny habits as proposed by BJ Fogg, why they are so powerful, and how they can transform your life.

The first mention of “Tiny Habits” was by Dr. BJ Fogg, a behavior scientist credited for founding the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University.

He is the New York Times bestselling author of Tiny Habits. He is also the creator of the Fogg Behavior Model that has helped thousands of people design for behavior change.

This post is all about tiny habits, why they are so transformative, and how you can build or break habits by applying them.

Part one: What are tiny habits

Tiny habits are what the name suggests: take things in tiny measures and work on small goals as opposed to larger ones that so often fail. When you break down a new habit to its smallest element, you feel less resistance to do it, and it becomes easier to incorporate that into your routine.

This post discusses a hundred examples of tiny habits you can use to either build or break a new habit in your life.

Why do we need tiny habits?

We all been in situations when we know we want to build a new habit, but are unable to stick to our resolution, no matter how determined we are. The same is true for breaking an old habit. Why is this so? According to Fogg, the reasons are threefold:

We judge ourselves far too harshly when we fail. We blame ourselves and remain miserable. But here’s the harsh truth: people don’t change by feeling bad.
We mistake aspirations for behaviors. According to Fogg, a behavior is something you can do right now or at another specific point in time. For example, you can turn off the air conditioning in your room right now. By contrast, an aspiration is impossible to achieve at any given moment. You cannot suddenly start waking up early every day.
We set big, lofty goals and rely on motivation to achieve them. Motivation is great, especially in the beginning, but as we all know, motivation doesn’t last.

Part two: What makes tiny habits so powerful

According to Fogg, if you want to make space for a new habit in your life, it’s important to figure out what behavior any new should come after. Fogg calls this the Anchor.

For example, if you’re trying to build a habit of daily exercise, you can start with the tiny habit of doing two push ups every day. But how do you remember the tiny habit? You tie it to an anchor: After I brush my teeth, I’m going to do two push-ups.

To tie your anchor even more firmly to your tiny habit, Fogg suggests three steps:

Match the physical location. Whatever new tiny habit you’re attempting, it should be done at the same location as the anchor habit.
Match the frequency. If you perform the anchor habit once a day, you can perform the tiny habit once as well. Decide how many times a day you want to perform you tiny habit and sequence it after an anchor that happens that many times a day.
Match the theme/purpose. The anchor and the tiny habit should be compatible. For example, if you’re trying to build a habit of working out daily, you can tie in with a habit that involves physical exercise, for example, walking the dog.

Part three: The transformative power of tiny habits

Building a new habit often comes with a lot of brutal self-recrimination. We try, we fail, and we get stuck in the loop of guilt and motivation, ultimately unable to welcome any major change in our lives.

That’s where the tiny habits come in. Because they are intimately tied to an anchor and take up so little effort (doing two push-ups is easier than doing an hour-long workout, right?), it’s easy to make time for them in our routine.

The important aspect here is celebration. To be really successful while building the new habit, you need to celebrate every time you managed to complete it on time. The small rewards and celebrations will keep you motivated and help you stay on track.

“When you celebrate, you create a positive feeling inside yourself on-demand,” Fogg writes. “This good feeling wires the new habit into your brain.” When we feel good, our brain releases dopamine, we remember what behavior led to feeling good, and we’re more likely to do it again.”

]]> 6 Tips to Make GTD Daily Review A Habit https://blog.lift.do/6-tips-to-make-gtd-daily-review-a-habit/ Sun, 09 May 2021 15:13:54 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2192 Read ]]> The GTD or Get Things Done daily review is a productivity hack that lets you look back on the day gone by, reflect on all that you have achieved, and set better goals for the next day so you can get more done.

It helps you sort through any ideas you generated during the day, and arrange your work plan around them to get the most out of the following day. If done regularly, this can be an excellent way to analyze all the lessons you learned and use them to move towards a better, stronger, and more successful version of yourself.

So, how can you go about making the GTD daily review a part of your daily schedule. This post includes some hand-picked tips from the users of Coach.me habit tracker and will help you build this new habit.

1. Do a quick morning review

As user, Richard Olpin puts it, “my morning review is a quick skim of my forecast for the calendar, flagged and due items, etc. Weekly I do a more comprehensive project review and decide my most important tasks for the next week.”

2. Split it into two parts during the day

Following the advice of user Josh Roman, here’s what you can do:

View your calendar the first thing in the morning. Then, quickly review your projects and update any tasks before switching to the Forecast view. Then, edit your task list and move all of tomorrow’s tasks onto tomorrow’s calendar.
In the evening, do a quick review of your Goals & Systems so you’re in the right frame of mind for the next day. Then, review your calendar for any hardscape items, and reorganize your calendar if needed.

3. Follow a 3-step process like the weekly review

Just like performing the GTD weekly review, user Mascha van de Weersuggests following three steps to get your daily review done:

Check your calendar
Check your next actions lists (if you have time during that day for any next actions).
Look in your inboxes to estimate and plan the time you need for processing.

4. Prioritize the tasks for the day

As user Dominik Jaworski suggests, here’s what you can do: “Plugin calendar (use it as a trigger list too), notes on iPhone and Mail (physical mail from last day and actual email). Then prioritize most important things. Do a quick check on your email including deleting spam, sorting out todos, etc. in less that two minutes. The rest goes to a list item “Mail” which usually gets done after the most important tasks.”

5. Get an accountability partner

Talk to someone about your goals of doing a GTD daily review every day. This can be a friend, a roommate, a partner, a sibling, or a parent. Roping someone in on your journey and having them hold you accountable can be a way to make sure you’re not alone on this journey. headshop

You can also hire an accountability coach. These are trained professionals who will help you build a new habit or get rid of old ones. Having a compassionate, professionally-trained expert by your side can be a wonderful way to make sure you don’t fall off the wagon while trying to build this new habit of performing a GTD daily review every day.

6. Bonus: Use technology

Download a free habit tracker where you mark each day on the calendar when you successfully performed your GTD daily review. Seeing an unbroken streak of indulging in your new good habit can be an incredible motivator to keep pushing you ahead on this endeavor of performing a GTD daily review every single day.

]]> How to be Consistent With Your GTD Weekly Review https://blog.lift.do/how-to-be-consistent-with-your-gtd-weekly-review/ Sun, 09 May 2021 09:15:35 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2181 Read ]]> “GTD” stands for Getting Things Done, which comes from a popular book by David Allen. Several people of all ages, races, colors, and creeds have benefited from this weekly review process over the years. It has now become established as one of the most effective productivity-boosting techniques.

The GTD weekly review is a systematic review process of the work you did during the week, which includes, but is not limited to:

The projects you completed.
The work you hope to get done the following week.
What opportunities you are waiting for next.
All the work you should have done but didn’t.
Ideas and opportunities you haven’t had time to think about.

An effective idea from the Getting Things Done book is getting to a state of “mind like water.” The weekly review is a great tool to help you reach that stage every single week. The only thing important is consistency.

So, how can you be consistent with your GTD weekly review? This post discusses some effective steps you can apply right away to incorporate this amazing productivity-boosting exercise into your schedule.

Step one: Look back into the week gone by

Think of this step as looking backward to tie all the loose ends from the bygone week. Here are some steps to help you achieve the same:

Grab the journals and papers where you have kept track of your progress.
Go through your notes.
Look at your calendar and address the time slots that are empty and need to be filled up, or too full and need to be emptied.
Look at your email inbox. Did you miss anything?
Pause for a reflect on any new ideas that might come to your head regarding how you can make the most of the upcoming week.

Step two: Plan to make the most of the current week

The next step is to sort all your bearings and make the most of the upcoming week. Here are some steps you can apply to implement this phase of the GTD weekly review:

Look at what projects you have lined up next.
Consider and plan your next actions.
Review your calendar to see where you can fit these slots in. Make sure you include time for self-care as well.

Step three: Get creative

The final step in getting consistent with your GTD weekly review is to get creative and think of all the ways you can get even more done in a short time. This step includes the following aspects:

Look at your “someday I will get these done” list and see if there is something you can ditch or accomplish right away.
What can you eliminate from your current list that will open up more exciting opportunities and help you get more work done?
What are some “big ideas” you have that you can execute right away?

Bonus tips to be consistent

Once you know what you can do to accomplish a proper GTD weekly review, here are some bonus tips on how you can be consistent with this new habit.

Keep aside a few hours every Friday afternoon for your GTD weekly review.
If Friday afternoons don’t work for you, you can also try to do your review on Saturday mornings or Friday nights. There is no hard and fast rule regarding when you need to complete your review. You can pick the time that works best for you, even if it requires a few rounds of iteration before you can zero in on the perfect time slot that works for you.

Get a habit tracker

Using a habit tracker to mark the days you stuck to your goal of performing a GTD weekly review can be an excellent way to make sure you don’t fall off the wagon. Seeing a streak of several weeks would be an excellent motivation to keep pushing yourself. It can also serve as a reminder of what you are capable of and how much remains to be done before you can reach where you’re supposed to.

Get an accountability partner

Having someone else perform a GTD weekly review every Friday with you can make building any new habit easier. You can join a community of people who are committed to boosting their productivity.

If you can’t find a friend who’s also learning to work on a GTD weekly review, you can hire an accountability coach to help keep you on track. These are trained individuals who will hold you accountable and help you get back on track if you ever fall off the wagon.

]]> Everything You Need To Know About Using 1–3–5 Priority Setting To Boost Your Productivity at Work https://blog.lift.do/everything-you-need-to-know-about-using-1-3-5-priority-setting-to-boost-your-productivity-at-work/ Fri, 07 May 2021 11:40:22 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2170 Read ]]> Are you tired of setting a to-do list that’s too long and fail to tick all the tasks there?

Are you tired of setting your priorities for the day and then go to with regret at not having completed them all?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with work and not sure which task to complete further, maybe the 1–3–5 priority setting method can help you overcome that feeling. This article is a beginner’s guide to this interesting new method called the 1–3–5 priority setting method to help boost your personal productivity as well as your productivity at work.

What is the 1–3–5 rule?

The 1–3–5 rule is simple: you need to commit to accomplishing three types of tasks every day to stay at your productive best: 1 Major Task, 3 Medium Tasks, and 5 Small Tasks.

This way, you can make progress on big projects and deliverables, complete all your small daily tasks, and also take care of any repeating daily commitments you might have. The reason this rule is effective is that it’s so simple.

How to make the 1–3–5 rule a daily habit?

Here are some tips on how you can make the 1–3–5 rule a daily habit and incorporate it into your lifestyle without consciously working too hard for it:

1. List out all your tasks for the week

Start on a Sunday and list every task you plan to accomplish in the upcoming week in your journal. Don’t think about how important they are or how urgently you need to accomplish them. The goal of this step is to get all the tasks in your head onto your planner or journal.

This is more of a brain dumping exercise and it serves the purpose of not having to remember your to-dos when you actually set yourself to achieving them the next week.

2. Divide them into groups

The next step is to group all your tasks into “major”, “medium”, and “small” tasks. If you’re not sure what criteria to consider while grouping them, here’s a guide to help you:

If the task requires three hours or more to be completed, consider it a “major” task.
If it takes one or two hours to be done, you can consider that task to be a “medium” task.
If it takes thirty minutes to one hour, it’s a “small” task.

Aside from the time taken, you can also take into consideration the mental energy a task requires. Some tasks can be completed in a few minutes but take a huge toll on your energy.

3. Write your to-do list

Once you have all the tasks grouped, write a to-do list with one major task, three medium tasks, and five minor tasks.

You can either plan to-do lists for the entire week, or make your to-do lists for each day before you go to bed at night. Use a new journal to make this kind of list as it’s a radically different approach from your usual journal or to-do lists.

4. Start with the biggest tasks

When you’re starting your work for the day, you usually have the most energy and motivation. Starting with the most complex and time-taking tasks will help you get them completed, and thus start the day with a feeling of accomplishment.

5. Incorporate the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro technique is a great tool for boosting productivity. The concept is simple: you work in blocks of time (usually twenty-five minutes), interspersed with breaks where you can recharge.

Because you have those short breaks of five minutes strewn in so generously, you can get more work done in a short time. This helps you achieve more without feeling burned out.

6. Use technology

Get help from people who have experience dealing with your problem of not being productive enough. You can hire an accountability coach who will share helpful tips and tricks and also hold you accountable for your promise of sticking to setting the 1–3–5 method each day.

You can also get a habit tracker and mark each day on the calendar where you successfully managed to set your priorities for the day. Gamifying your habits can be a helpful way to get the most of this challenge and adopting a more productive lifestyle.

]]> 7 Tips to Get to Work On Time Every Day https://blog.lift.do/7-tips-to-get-to-work-on-time-every-day/ Sun, 02 May 2021 19:59:44 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2167 Read ]]> If you’re someone who struggles to be on time, you know how important it is to get to work on time every day. Being late to work regularly can impact your reputation negatively and also adversely affect the relationships you build with your colleagues in the workplace.

This post discusses six creative tips that will help you be more punctual and show up at work on time every day.

1. Make your bed first thing in the morning

This might sound counterintuitive. After all, if you spend more time making your bed each morning, you will lose precious time and might end up getting to work even later than your usual time.

But making your bed the first thing in the morning puts you into this productive mood that fills you with positive energy for the rest of the day. You already have one item on your to-do list checked. You will be super motivated to start checking off the rest, including getting to work on time.

2. Plan your day on the previous night

Making a to-do list before you go to sleep on the previous night can have amazing impacts on your productivity the next day. They not only help you manage your time better but knowing all the tasks you have got to do right after you wake up helps you sleep better.

Of course, sleeping on time will help you wake up on time, which, in turn, will help you get to work on time.

3. Plan your breakfast before you sleep

It is a widely accepted fact that nothing wakes you up in the morning like a big cup of coffee. It’s also extremely important to have breakfast every day.

So, how do you combine these two habits to make sure you never get late to work ever again?

Plan your meals in advance, and have them right after brushing your teeth in the morning. That way, you can have your dose of caffeine to wake you up, while at the same time, save precious time and reach work full-on energy and right on time.

4. Keep your variables in check

If you go to the office by car pool, make sure you ensure the car will arrive the next day.

If you ride a bike, keep checking your tires and make sure your bike is in great condition to ride the next morning without any glitches.

If you travel by your own car, keep checking your fuel tank, tire pressure, brake fluid, etc.

There are so many variables not in your control. But the least things you leave to chance, the better off you will be and the easier it will get for you to reach work on time.

5. Keep your clothes ready

Choosing what to wear each morning can be a big headache and lead to decision fatigue. You can reduce the time spent on deciding what to wear in the wee hours of the morning by pressing your clothes the night before and laying them out, ready to be worn the next morning. яндекс

Also, keep your watch, keys, and wallet at the same place — somewhere that’s easily visible so you don’t waste precious time looking for them

6. Hold yourself accountable

You can do this in the following two ways:

Maintain your daily eating habits in a habit tracker and keep track of your progress. Seeing an unbroken streak will motivate you to push yourself harder and make it easy for you to incorporate this habit into your life.
Hire an accountability coach to help you stick to your goals and make sure you don’t miss a day even when you’re tempted. These are trained professionals who will help you get back on track if you ever lose momentum somewhere down the line.

]]>