Productivity

On this episode, we chat about how to use simple economic principles to become more productive and intentional. Topics covered include: What economics even is; What an “economic tradeoff” is; The “opportunity cost” of our time; The costs associated with our decisions; Recognizing our “sunk costs”; How to “think along the margins.” Links mentioned in

FIRST SEEN ON GRAHAM ALLCOTT’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER ‘REV UP FOR THE WEEK’. It’s interesting to note how many different approaches there are right now to the notion of ‘getting back to normal’ and returning to the office. There are bosses saying that their workers are ‘abusing’ working from home and ordering them back to the office every

Our brilliant Productivity Ninja Hayley Watts is an Expert Facilitator and is leading the way with our new workshop ‘Expert Facilitation‘. But what actually is Facilitation? And how can it help your people? We asked Hayley that very same question… What is Facilitation? I think it’s a bit like ice skating, when it’s done well,

We’re handing the blog over to the brilliant Lee Garrett, one of our experts on Project Management Training and resident tech-whizz. When I’m not delivering workshops as a Productivity Ninja for Think Productive, I freelance as both a Project and Programme Manager. And wow. The correlation between the two is amazing! I’ve delivered IT projects for

Takeaway: Our “surface area of concern”—the number of events we pay attention to on a regular basis—has expanded alongside technology. This is not an inherently negative thing, but becomes one when it adds chronic stress, leads us to burnout, and affects our mental health.Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes, 30s. Before radio, TV, and the internet

On this episode, Annie Murphy Paul and I chat about her fantastic new book, The Extended Mind. Topics covered include: The “brainbound” way of thinking—and why it’s broken; How our body can be more rational than our brain; How to practice “interoception”; How physical activity, of varying intensities, can support thought; The power of nature

On this episode, we chat about how to step back from work over the holidays, yet still get things done when you need to. Topics covered include: Whether or not we should even try to be productive over the holidays; The “opportunity cost” of how we spend our time; How the “productivity mindset” can creep

Takeaway: You probably have guiding principles, whether you realize it or not. Capturing them can help you make better decisions. If you’re curious, mine are listed below!  Estimated Reading Time: 1 minute, 52s. A work strategy group I’m part of recently had a curious meeting topic: what core principles guide our actions? On first reflection, I honestly didn’t think I had any.

On this episode, we chat about getting help from others. Topics covered include: The difference between collaboration and asking for help;  When we should ask for help at work and at home; Getting help through asking for feedback; How to get good feedback from others; How exactly to ask for help; The power of anticipating

On this episode, we chat about our daily habits—especially the ones we’re actively tracking and moving toward implementing. Topics covered include: The habit tracker we use (and recommend) The daily habits we track The cues that trigger our habits—and how to implement more of them Links mentioned in this episode: You can listen (and subscribe)

Takeaway: Instagram and Facebook fuel a dangerous “inadequacy loop” that can hijack our attention and sabotage our mental well-being. Awareness is key to breaking this cycle. Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 51s. I recently sat down to watch Frances Haugen’s three-hour testimony on Facebook in front of Congress. The event was surprisingly gripping—she very obviously knows her stuff and, as

On this episode, we dig into New Year’s resolutions. Topics covered include: The resolutions we’ve set; How often New Year’s resolutions fail—and why they do; The difference between resolutions and goals; How to account for constraints in goal setting; The power of “course correcting” to get closer to your goals; How to course correct on

On this episode, we chat about the “Rule of 3”—my all-time favorite prioritizationstrategy. Topics covered include: What the “rule of 3” is; How our brain is wired to think in threes; How to prioritize what you have going on in an agile way; The benefits and drawbacks to daily prioritization; The importance of awareness when

On this episode, I chat with John List about his new book, The Voltage Effect. Topics we talk about include: What “scale” and “voltage” are; How he discovered the “silver bullets” of scaling up an idea; The five hurdles we need to overcome when scaling something; How scale is a “weakest link” problem; How to

On this episode, we chat about how slowing down can help us in work and life, without compromising our performance (if that’s something you care about). Topics covered include: How busy times make slowing down more important—but also lead to more guilt A new definition of the word “productivity” How slowing down helps us savor,

Takeaway: The news media has an overly negative bent—keep this in mind as you consume it because it could affect your mental health more than you realize. Ironically, the news may even siphon away the mental resources you need to make a difference. Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes, 24s. The fact that the news is

On this episode, we chat about stress relief strategies that have been proven to lower the level of stress hormones in our body. Topics covered include: How to think about the stress in your life from 10,000 feet The differences between chronic and acute stress Our body’s stress response How more stress is preventable than

On this episode, we chat about how to actually recharge while taking some time off. Topics covered include: How work can be meaningful—but also a pretty big source of chronic stress Identifying hidden sources of chronic stress in our live How vacations can make us more productive overall How stress both drives us to burnout,

Takeaway : Fast-forward to the future and ask what you want to be proud of. This simple ritual lets you step into the shoes of your future-self and focus on your goals. Estimated Reading Time : 1 minute, 29s. The Rule of 3 is one of my favorite productivity rituals. It involves a simple exercise: mentally leap forward to the end of

On this episode, we chat about how to more deliberately deal with email, to both think about it less, and make it a less stressful element of your day. Topics covered include: How much we should think about email in the first place How to conduct “email sprints” The two types of work that we

Takeaway: We spend more time in the digital world than we think. Generally speaking, this time staring at screens is valuable when it: saves us time, adds features to our analog lives, and connects us with others. Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 10s. While working on a new book, I stumbled on a number I found too compelling not to

On this episode, we chat about the importance of saying no to unimportant things. Topics covered include: Becoming more deliberate about saying no What we should be saying no to—in our work and personal lives Comparison tasks that put “saying no” in perspective The relative meaning and productivity of tasks Knowing the value of your

On this episode, we chat about how to properly celebrate the milestones we hit. Topics covered include: How we rarely celebrate our accomplishments How the “Zeigarnik effect” leads us to just move onto the next thing The milestones we’re celebrating What it means to have closure with a project The Need for Closure scale The

Takeaway: Four rules worth following, courtesy of an instructional video from 1952: don’t bottle things up inside; respect your abilities; treat others as friends; and do something about a problem as soon as it comes up. Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 28s. I’ve been on a weird YouTube binge lately: watching black and white instructional videos from the last

First seen on Graham Allcott’s weekly newsletter ‘Rev Up for the Week’. The idea of Rev Up for the Week is to give you one productive or positive idea for the week ahead. I had a request last week from someone who was struggling to make the transition from home relaxing to home-working on a

On this episode, we chat about obstacles that get in the way of our habits—including the habits we’re in the middle of forming, and the ones we already have. Topics covered include: The payoff of anticipating obstacles ahead of time Some common obstacles that get in our way How to identify the obstacles that’ll get

Takeaway: The Peloton Bike+ is expensive, but can be a worthwhile investment in your physical and mental health. In this post I outline what’s great and not-so-great about the bike. I love mine, and you’ll love it, too, provided you have the budget and make a habit out of using the thing. Estimated Reading Time:

On this episode, we count down our all-time favorite productivity habits—this week we cover numbers 5-1! Topics covered include: Keeping a “Waiting For” list—and what to capture on it How to organize the items you’re waiting on The importance of “scatterfocus” Where ideas come from—and where our mind wanders to How to recharge, generate ideas,

Takeaway: If you’re feeling burnt out or worried you’re heading in that direction, check on the six areas of your job that are most likely to contribute to that state: your workload, level of control, how rewarding your job is, how much community you have, how fair things are, and whether your work aligns with

Zoom or Teams fatigue. Are you feeling it? Despair no more, as this month I’ve pulled together my top 5 “meetings check-ins” for you.Over the last year I’ve been collecting check-in or icebreaker games and meeting energizers. These games not only help energize or quieten our brains, but also help us connect with each other, awaken