7 workflow optimization techniques you may not have heard about
Time is always on the edge, and affairs are always a little better - this is an axiom of the twenty-first century. It is not surprising that humanity is in a continuous search for magical ritual (or methods of workflow organization, as they are called) that will save us all from time pressure, deadlines, procrastination, and other temporal traps. Of course, the most effective of them are already known to you, but we, through the efforts of our team, made a small hit parade of slightly less common techniques that we have been able to successfully use in our work.
It does not sound too appetizing, but this is the whole point. The list of cases for the day always includes those that do not cause us any enthusiasm, and, in the opinion of Mark Twain, who introduced the name of the methodology into use, it is better to begin work with them. There are at least two arguments in favor of such an approach: first, the longer you postpone an unpleasant affair, the harder it is to take on it, and second, overpowering yourself and getting rid of burdensome duties, you get a charge of positive emotions and motivation at the very beginning of the day. First of all, the “swallow a frog” method is suitable, of course, for procrastinators - it simply prevents them from turning to a bad habit. To a much lesser extent, it is suitable for people with a busy schedule and a mass of diverse tasks: it is much more expedient for them to sort things by other criteria (urgency, priority). However, for them there are light versions, built on the same idea, but with a less rigid link to the schedule - for example, a recommendation to devote 15-30 minutes a day specifically for boring or unpleasant duties that you cannot force yourself to perform at other times. .
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This original technique was developed by Joel Runyon for freelancers, small business owners and other people with relative freedom of action and movement. The first steps look pretty standard: break the whole work into small tasks, group them into several thematic clusters, determine the approximate lead time for each. And then - start looking for cafes, libraries and other cozy public places in your area. The essence of the “Workstation Popcorn” approach is to switch from one cluster to another each time. According to the author, this helps to concentrate as much as possible, to switch between diverse tasks without mixing them, and to avoid blurring the line between work and free time is a common problem for those who work from home. In addition, you will spend more time on the move and will be able to give your friends advice on where the best coffee is prepared in your area.
The technique from Jay Shirley is temptingly simple. In fact, it boils down to the fact that making plans for the day, you keep in mind three questions:
Such a moment of reflection in the morning helps you balance your lifestyle and priorities. On the one hand, you are looking to the future, not content with settling momentary problems, on the other hand, you don’t sacrifice urgent and urgent matters in favor of abstract perspectives, and finally, you do not run the risk of burnout in pursuit of productivity. By the way, it is not at all necessary to equally distribute the time and effort between these three points: on some days you will almost certainly have to start up on the current tasks, and on some you can allow yourself more time to spend on pleasure.
Music is not just a relaxed and uncomplicated way to have fun on the job; it can be a powerful tool for optimizing workflow ... unless, of course, it is chosen correctly. Studies show that you should choose familiar, unobtrusive, not too loud music without words as background noise. In particular, tracks in the genre of ambient music, synthesized sounds of nature, melodies from video games are well suited. You can create your own set of favorite records of this kind or rely on the taste of the focus @ will system created just for this purpose. The site of the latter presents a whole collection of playlists with music of different genres, which helps the listener to concentrate and sets the appropriate rhythm. With such a sound track, it is also easier to stick to the schedule - set the timer, and a break in playback will remind you that it's time to rest.
The technique from the popular comedian Jerry Seinfeld may have been remembered by one of our previous articles . This simple, but effective scheme is good for those who are trying to form new habits or more time to devote time to any activities. All you need is a calendar (separate for each habit) and a red marker. If on some day you managed to fulfill your plans, mark it with a cross - that’s all. This is a purely psychological trick: you only need to earn a few crosses in a row, as you already want to make the chain longer and longer. This starts the process of self-renewal of motivation. The disadvantages of this method include insufficient flexibility (for example, it does not take into account unforeseen circumstances and makes it impossible to allocate days for rest). Adam Dachis in his article offers some modifications that will help to adapt it for all occasions.
In his book “The Work the System” Sam Carpenter calls us to pay attention not only to “what” and “how much”, but also to “when”. According to the author's theory (and the personal experience of many of us), our ability to work with maximum efficiency fluctuates greatly during the day. Efficiency at each moment consists of three components: the amount of energy, the level of concentration, the degree of motivation; however, they are all determined by individual biological rhythms. The key to effective time management is to track down the peaks in all these indicators and, by imposing schedules on each other, identify favorable and unfavorable periods for work. It will take, however, not less than three weeks, during which you should live on biological clocks, not to use any stimulant drugs and carefully monitor and evaluate your condition. However, if you have enough patience for all of this, it will be possible to organize your day much more meaningfully and benefit not only from periods of activity, but also from moments of recession, which the author advises to consider as an occasion to relax and refresh yourself.
LightsAndCandy offers a kind of compromise between the sensational biological clock orientation and the Pomodoro method. Despite the undoubted effectiveness of the latter, many find some flaws in it. The most serious of these are the fixed length of the sessions, which presses, creating fear of time pressure, and regular forced breaks that can interrupt the flow condition. The advantage of the LightsAndCandy approach is that it allows you to start and end working sessions more smoothly and naturally, without driving you into tight time frames. The author proposes to adhere to the following scheme of actions:
Perhaps, after a while, looking through the records, you will begin to notice patterns: for example, in the morning, your sessions last longer than after lunch, or long “smoke breaks” follow longer periods of uninterrupted work. Thus, you can gradually adjust the mode to your own biorhythms.
We hope that one of these seven methods will seem worthwhile, we have no doubt that you will start it on Monday, and in every way we welcome the exchange of experience in the comments.
“Swallow the Frog”
It does not sound too appetizing, but this is the whole point. The list of cases for the day always includes those that do not cause us any enthusiasm, and, in the opinion of Mark Twain, who introduced the name of the methodology into use, it is better to begin work with them. There are at least two arguments in favor of such an approach: first, the longer you postpone an unpleasant affair, the harder it is to take on it, and second, overpowering yourself and getting rid of burdensome duties, you get a charge of positive emotions and motivation at the very beginning of the day. First of all, the “swallow a frog” method is suitable, of course, for procrastinators - it simply prevents them from turning to a bad habit. To a much lesser extent, it is suitable for people with a busy schedule and a mass of diverse tasks: it is much more expedient for them to sort things by other criteria (urgency, priority). However, for them there are light versions, built on the same idea, but with a less rigid link to the schedule - for example, a recommendation to devote 15-30 minutes a day specifically for boring or unpleasant duties that you cannot force yourself to perform at other times. .
Technique "Workstation Popcorn"
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This original technique was developed by Joel Runyon for freelancers, small business owners and other people with relative freedom of action and movement. The first steps look pretty standard: break the whole work into small tasks, group them into several thematic clusters, determine the approximate lead time for each. And then - start looking for cafes, libraries and other cozy public places in your area. The essence of the “Workstation Popcorn” approach is to switch from one cluster to another each time. According to the author, this helps to concentrate as much as possible, to switch between diverse tasks without mixing them, and to avoid blurring the line between work and free time is a common problem for those who work from home. In addition, you will spend more time on the move and will be able to give your friends advice on where the best coffee is prepared in your area.
“Should, should, want”
The technique from Jay Shirley is temptingly simple. In fact, it boils down to the fact that making plans for the day, you keep in mind three questions:
- What should I do today to effectively solve current problems?
- What should I do with long-term goals?
- What do I want to do for my own pleasure?
Such a moment of reflection in the morning helps you balance your lifestyle and priorities. On the one hand, you are looking to the future, not content with settling momentary problems, on the other hand, you don’t sacrifice urgent and urgent matters in favor of abstract perspectives, and finally, you do not run the risk of burnout in pursuit of productivity. By the way, it is not at all necessary to equally distribute the time and effort between these three points: on some days you will almost certainly have to start up on the current tasks, and on some you can allow yourself more time to spend on pleasure.
Focus @ Will
Music is not just a relaxed and uncomplicated way to have fun on the job; it can be a powerful tool for optimizing workflow ... unless, of course, it is chosen correctly. Studies show that you should choose familiar, unobtrusive, not too loud music without words as background noise. In particular, tracks in the genre of ambient music, synthesized sounds of nature, melodies from video games are well suited. You can create your own set of favorite records of this kind or rely on the taste of the focus @ will system created just for this purpose. The site of the latter presents a whole collection of playlists with music of different genres, which helps the listener to concentrate and sets the appropriate rhythm. With such a sound track, it is also easier to stick to the schedule - set the timer, and a break in playback will remind you that it's time to rest.
"Do not interrupt the chain"
The technique from the popular comedian Jerry Seinfeld may have been remembered by one of our previous articles . This simple, but effective scheme is good for those who are trying to form new habits or more time to devote time to any activities. All you need is a calendar (separate for each habit) and a red marker. If on some day you managed to fulfill your plans, mark it with a cross - that’s all. This is a purely psychological trick: you only need to earn a few crosses in a row, as you already want to make the chain longer and longer. This starts the process of self-renewal of motivation. The disadvantages of this method include insufficient flexibility (for example, it does not take into account unforeseen circumstances and makes it impossible to allocate days for rest). Adam Dachis in his article offers some modifications that will help to adapt it for all occasions.
"Biological peak"
In his book “The Work the System” Sam Carpenter calls us to pay attention not only to “what” and “how much”, but also to “when”. According to the author's theory (and the personal experience of many of us), our ability to work with maximum efficiency fluctuates greatly during the day. Efficiency at each moment consists of three components: the amount of energy, the level of concentration, the degree of motivation; however, they are all determined by individual biological rhythms. The key to effective time management is to track down the peaks in all these indicators and, by imposing schedules on each other, identify favorable and unfavorable periods for work. It will take, however, not less than three weeks, during which you should live on biological clocks, not to use any stimulant drugs and carefully monitor and evaluate your condition. However, if you have enough patience for all of this, it will be possible to organize your day much more meaningfully and benefit not only from periods of activity, but also from moments of recession, which the author advises to consider as an occasion to relax and refresh yourself.
Flowtime Technique
LightsAndCandy offers a kind of compromise between the sensational biological clock orientation and the Pomodoro method. Despite the undoubted effectiveness of the latter, many find some flaws in it. The most serious of these are the fixed length of the sessions, which presses, creating fear of time pressure, and regular forced breaks that can interrupt the flow condition. The advantage of the LightsAndCandy approach is that it allows you to start and end working sessions more smoothly and naturally, without driving you into tight time frames. The author proposes to adhere to the following scheme of actions:
- Select a task. Make a note of the time before proceeding;
- Work until you feel like taking a break. Record the time again;
- Decide how many minutes you need to rest and set a timer;
- When time to rest is over, start the second session and repeat the same steps.
Perhaps, after a while, looking through the records, you will begin to notice patterns: for example, in the morning, your sessions last longer than after lunch, or long “smoke breaks” follow longer periods of uninterrupted work. Thus, you can gradually adjust the mode to your own biorhythms.
We hope that one of these seven methods will seem worthwhile, we have no doubt that you will start it on Monday, and in every way we welcome the exchange of experience in the comments.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/325272/
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