Productivity | 4 Min Read
#22 - Productivity Reviewed
In a follow-on edition to last week's edition, this week we review the changes I implemented, how they went and if I'll be sticking with them.
Hey Friends π
Hope you have had a productive and joy-filled week?
In this week's newsletter, I'd like to talk about how the last week went after implementing the few changes I mentioned in the previous edition. To recap these changes were:
- Reducing the content I post on social media every week
- "The Rule of 3"
- Finding a new method for managing my to-do lists
So I'd say the first point was a resounding success and is something I'm going to carry on doing going forward. As of right now, the content schedule I have laid out is 21 posts/week on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and 15 posts/week on Instagram.
The reduction in content was a lifesaver. It allowed me to complete scheduling the week's content sooner which in turn gave me more time to work on other projects. For example, the redesign of my personal website that I will be sharing the design of soon and the new GitHub Actions I've been working on for my productivity system. π
As you can guess from that previous sentence, this last week I haven't implemented a new way of managing to-do lists but I have planned, designed and started to make one.
It's going to be completely based on GitHub, using automated actions to handle the creation of new tasks and adding of them to Kanban boards for easier management. I'm hoping to have this system completed and the migration from my old Notion based system completed by early next week so I can get on with some real work. π
Finally, let's touch on "The Rule of 3". By implementing "The Rule of 3" and just focusing my attention on three tasks/day I have found that I achieve more and can focus my attention more instead of scatter-gunning my attention every day.
Using the "The Rule of 3" has also brought about an unintended consequence that I originally wasn't planning on...
And, that's a more structured approach to working and my work-life balance each day. By just outlining the three tasks every day that yield the highest potential return out of the tasks available I can rest easy at night knowing that I have been productive that day and I haven't just wasted my day being unproductive.
And, as long as those three tasks are completed each day, it doesn't matter what I do with the rest of my time whether that be read a book, go to the gym, play a video game or spend time with family/friends. Because those three tasks are complete, it was a productive day.
Shifting Approaches
At the start of this year, I worked under the approach that the more I did, the more work I took on and the more hours I worked, the more success it would bring me.
And, while it did bring some success and opportunities in the form of more technical writing partnerships, speaking opportunities and similar work. My projects and long term goals suffered from the lack of attention they were getting.
I've only just started to realise this connection by cutting back on the quantity that I now aim to do. By reducing the quantity and giving myself more free time to sit, think and explore ideas, the higher the quality of those ideas and in the end, the work I'm able to produce.
This coming week, I want to finish off the new productivity system I'm building on GitHub, migrate over my existing work to it and then carry on with "The Rule of 3", reduced social media content and experiment with providing more time to think about solutions, ideas and concepts.
I hope you have a wonderful week and I look forward to checking in with you again in a week.
Thank you for reading as always,
Coner x
Thought, Question, Challenge π€
- Thought: The hardest tasks are often the ones that yield the most benefits.
- Question: What tasks could you complete that you have potentially the most to gain from?
- Challenge: Tackle one of those tasks this week.
Favourite Things π
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