These are the tips that I personally use in my own life in order to be efficient.
→ Helpful app: Safety Technique StopWatch (136kB, .exe.rar, sorry unixoid-folks — only for win32 now).
→ Secrets of success @TED2009.
→ Time management (Russian, по-русски, lj user fritzmorgen).
→ Efficient enjoyable workplace ↓
(1) What does “to be efficient” exactly mean?
- To me, being efficient means to achieve a given goal in least possible amount of time.
(2) Why is it (to be efficient) so damn important?
- Because I believe that the essense of happyness is achieving my own goal in least possible amount of time, which means efficiently.
(3) Single-tasked brain
- Try to really focus and concentrate your total attention on a single task you're performing. Put everything that may distract your attention from the topic FAR AWAY. Set your cellphone on silent mode. Put foam-earplugs inside your ears. Officially delegate solving small problems to subordinates. Don't answer instant messages (don't even launch those apps).
- Dress up in clean cloth, do body warming workout if needed. Prepare yourself for a nice concentrated job. And y'll be amazed how well you can do it.
(4) Safety Stopwatch Technique
- Periodic workouts. I strongly recommend to do a physical workout during a break — whatever it is most convenient and similar for you — pushups, curtseys, stretchings, tightenings, backbone twisting, ear squeezing, eye exercises, et cetera. The blood flow is extremely ultimately important for your great and productive state of mind. Just pump the blood, (wo)man! I personally do workouts even during working time! Just every once in a while I feel uncomfortable/ stuck/ passive — I move my body.
- You may wanna use an ultimately simple app (136kB) I wrote (sorry unixoid-folks, only for win32 now).
(5) Do ugliest thing first
- To achieve an objective there is always a list of subitems to accomplish. And generally I start doing things I'm good at, untill eventually I forget the main reason of the activity.
- Do toughest thing first. Yes, I either don't know how do it at all, or had a very small experience earlier. But hey, that's actual learning!
Ivan Yurlagin