I finished reading David Allen’s unofficial productivity bible, “Getting Things Done” (GTD) about 2 and a half months ago.  Since then I’ve made an asserted effort to implement his suggestions.  The fundamental goal was to simply increase my daily rate of productive output.

I found that some of David Allen’s suggestions were instantly applicable, some needed a little tweaking to better suit my needs and others were a bit too rigid and were thus substituted for alternative methods.  After 2 months of fine-tuning I’m happy to report that I have implemented a productivity system that works really well.

That’s what this short article is about.  A crystal clear, 1 minute read on increasing your productivity by using the slightly modified GTD-based methods that have worked for me.  Let’s get to it…

1. Create 1 Inbox (Entry Point) for All New Tasks – This should be the only place you record the new things you must get done and the only place you need to reference when you are ready to review them.  I use my Outlook inbox as my GTD inbox.  This will work well for anyone like me who receives a large quantity of tasks via email.  If a task comes in any other format (snail mail, face to face meeting, phone call, etc.), I immediately send myself one email with a descriptive subject and body (more info below) for each new task.
2. Create “Work”, “Personal” and “Someday Maybe” Folders – I created 3 subfolders under my main Outlook inbox for this purpose.  All work related tasks that must be done will be filed under “Work” and all personal tasks that must be done will be filed under “Personal”.  Any less urgent tasks or miscellaneous ideas will be filed under “Someday Maybe” (these are open ended tasks like “learn Spanish”).
3. Completely Empty Your Inbox Every Morning – I completely empty my inbox every single morning without failure.  This entails deleting any garbage emails, instantly completing the open tasks that take less than 2 minutes to resolve (more info below) and then filing all the remaining tasks into their appropriate subfolders.
4. Instantly Complete All 2-Minute (or less) Tasks – This is the most useful GTD method in the whole book.  Every time you review new tasks (or new small parts of bigger tasks) ask yourself this question: Will this task take me longer than two minutes to complete if I start on it now?  If the answer is no, do it now.
5. File All Remaining Tasks with Actionable Labeling – As you’re filing all the tasks that take more than 2 minutes to complete, verify that the subject and description (for me this is placed in the subject line of an email message) of the task is clear and action oriented.  It’s easiest to think of this in labeling method as having two distincts parts, the task subject and the next action description.  For example, “Design New Website Layout | Meet with the CEO to discuss my design ideas.”
6. Set Reminders in Calendar for Time Dependant Tasks – You should place a reminder in your calendar (for me this is the Outlook calendar) for any task with an associated time dependency.  For example, a task entitled “Design New Website Layout | Design meeting Monday 10AM”, should also have a reminder entry placed in your calendar for 10AM Monday morning.
7. Review Every Open Task a Least Once a Day – Once your inbox is empty, read through all the tasks in your “Work” and “Personal” folders everyday just to review what you have in there.  During this quick review process you will be able to remove tasks that have been completed, edit tasks as necessary with additional information and refresh your memory on all the open tasks you have.  Note: Only review your “Someday Maybe” folder once a week at a set time.
8. Create a Short “Everyday” List for Complex Tasks or Projects – Create a short list of the things you must do everyday to ensure that you remain in control of a specific complex task or project (a group of related tasks).  Review this list every morning or whenever you need a quick reminder.  This especially helps me get into the groove of managing new, long-term projects that I have not yet fully mastered.  An “Everyday” list might look something like this: Project X Everyday – 1. Meet with program managers, 2. Review active status reports, 3. Verify validity of open issues, etc.

Hopefully this 1 minute, GTD-based lesson will set you on the right track and motivate you to implement a similar system in your own life, a system for productively getting things done.
Photo by: Paul Worthington

There are always minutes to be saved and various ways to save them.  In this article I discuss 10 of my favorite ways to save 10 minutes.  These are not complicated procedures.  They are very simple, straightforward suggestions.  Sometimes our days are so crammed with things to do that 10 minutes represents the difference between sanity and insanity.  I use each of the suggestions below to save time and remain sane on a daily basis.

Perhaps the very best question that you can memorize and repeat, over and over, is, “what is the most valuable use of my time right now?”
– Brian Tracy

1. Plan Ahead and Start Early – 10 minutes of dedicated time planning each evening will save you from 20 minutes of ad-hoc preparation each morning.  Likewise, starting your morning on purpose 20 minutes early will inject at least 30 additional productive minutes into your day.  Think about it.
2. Handle All 2 Minute Tasks Immediately – “The 2 Minute Rule” is single greatest tip I picked up from David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done”.  If you roughly estimate that a task is going to take you less than 2 minutes to accomplish, do it right now.  It’s a waste of time and energy to keep small tasks like this on your to-do list.
3. Group Similar Tasks Back-to-Back – Switching gears between different types of tasks can be tough.  It takes most people several minutes to get into a productive mental groove geared toward a speficic type of task.  Therefore, it makes sense to group similar tasks in an effort to minimize the number of rough patches, and thus wasted time, between task orders.
4. Eliminate All Distractions for a Set Time – Distractions are everywhere.  They arrive via email, cell phone, coworker inquiry, etc.  I’ve found that cutting out all distractions for a set time is one of the most effective ways to get things done in less time.  You can’t remain in hiding forever, but you can be nearly 4 times as productive while you are.
5. Take Notes and Make Lists – Nobody’s memory is perfect.  If you don’t take notes and setup to-do lists for yourself you will end up wasting minutes of time trying to remember things that would have taken you seconds to write down.
6. Standardize Common Responsibilities – If you find yourself performing the same set of tasks on a regular basis then it makes sense to establish an efficient, standardized way of accomplishing them.  Are certain tasks easier to perform in the morning?  Are there additional resources that can be utilized only at a certain time?  It’s up to you to find an efficient pattern, standardize it and follow it.
7. Buy in Bulk, Cook in Bulk – Buying stuff and cooking food are two of the most common unplanned consumptions of time.  Most people buy replacements in small amounts only when they need them and think about food only when they’re hungry.  The probem is these issues will often arise at inopportune times.  The most efficient way I’ve found to counteract this is by doing bulk loads of both.  I know I’ll always need gas in my vehicle.  So instead of putting in $25 here and $25 there, I top off my tank every time I’m at the station regardless of the sticker shock.  Likewise, I know I’m going to be hungry at lunch time every day this week.  So on Sundays I’ll grill up 5 extra chicken breasts and make a chicken wrap or sandwich for every day of the week.
8. Use Productive Shortcuts – People who claim that there are no productive shortcuts in life have been brainwashed.  There are productive shortcuts for almost everything you do.  Finding and using them can save you a few minutes here and there on a daily basis.  If you use a computer, learn the keyboard shortcuts for the programs you use most often.  If you can permanently delegate one of your regular tasks to someone else, do it.  Is there a route to work with less traffic?  Where can you hit 2 birds with 1 stone? 
9. Organize All Your Space – How much time do you think the average person wastefully spends searching for items they’ve misplaced?  Keeping both your living and work spaces organized will undoubtedly save you 10 minutes (if not 20 or 30) daily.
10. Productively Use Waiting Time – Waiting time does not have to be wasted time.  When you are waiting at the doctor’s office, the post office, or on hold for the next available representative… what simple tasks could you complete while you wait?  How about sorting though your snail mail, writing those thank you notes you’ve been putting off, reading the book you keep meaning to read, reviewing and editing your to-do lists, etc…

The monotonous repetition and visual sameness found in the common office space could suck the creativity out of Picasso.  The environment you inhabit has a powerful affect on the way you think and feel.  If everything around you looks the same, your mind will eventually grow numb.  Likewise, if you do the same exact thing in the same exact way at the same exact location every day, you may very well think the same exact thoughts over and over again.

Your creativity relies heavily on your attitude, and your attitude relies on your enthusiasm, motivation and positivity.  Trying to maintain a positive attitude in a monotonous business environment can be tough.  And if your creativity is stifled because your attitude sucks, your effective productivity rate will plunge as well.

So what can you do to spark your business-minded creativity at the office?  I love to play around with innovative ways of approaching life at work.  Not everyone gets a chance to escape the 9 to 5 office space environment, but that doesn’t mean they can’t escape the monotony by exploiting their creative edge within it.

Here are 10 business creativity tips to help you get your mind on track:

1. Be a Visitor in Your Own Office – Sit in the guest chair on the opposite side of your desk for an hour or so.  It will give you a fresh visual perspective on the same old environment.  If you don’t have a guest chair or your own office, roll your work chair to a new location and bring your laptop and supplies with you.  Even the slightest change in your physical setting can stimulate your senses and your creativity.  Don’t be afraid to switch locations a few times a day.  It may sound strange, but it makes a world of difference.
2. Rotate Your Artwork and Photographs – First things first, buy some artwork you like.  Also, frame a few photographs of the important people in your life and place them throughout your personal office space.  Rotate the wall art from wall to wall every two weeks.  Do the same with the photos.  Occasionally swap out the artwork and photos for new ones.  You could even exchange them with others you already have at your house.
3. Get a Cool Chair (or Chairs) – Just like moving around, swapping that boring grey desk chair for a cool, comfortable Aeron or HAG Capisco can keep your senses refreshed and your creative edge alive.  If funds aren’t an issue, get both and switch it up every few hours.
4. Re-purpose Unused Office Space – Poll your coworkers for the most creative (and applicable) use of the unused space.  How about a sitting area with comfortable chairs, a few live plants, some inspirational artwork and a dry erase board?  Make sure you get your superiors on board with the idea.  Sell them on the benefits of a creative work environment.
5. Play Musical Chairs at Meetings – Break out of the foolish grade school habit of continually sitting in the same seat.  Sit next to different people, participate in their conversations and become more conscious of what each of them brings to the table.  They may surprise you and open your mind to new ideas.
6. Write Down Every Idea – Simple ideas fuel creativity.  Write down everything and anything that crosses your mind, even the simple ideas that seem stupid.  A critical part of having a good idea is the act of capturing every idea you have.  Capturing other people’s ideas is also a beneficial practice.  Maintain an idea list and then mindfully sort through them at an alternate location and time.
7. Take Short Stimulation Breaks – Read some quotes that inspire you.  Watch a motivational video clip.  Listen to one of your favorite tunes.  Or, you could create a small play space with some mind stimulating puzzles and games.
8. Break Your Routines – Routines can serve a useful purpose, but they also close the door on creativity.  Small changes in your routines can lead to fresh, invigorating experiences and creative thought patterns.  For instance, instead of driving to work, take the bus or carpool.  Go out to lunch with different people.  Try new things.
9. Mandate Personal Brainstorming Sessions – Brainstorming is essential to creative thinking.  Set enough time aside to brainstorm at least once a day.  Don’t stop until you have at least 10 points written down.  Add these points to the idea list I discussed above.
10. Buy Fun Supplies – I’m certainly not an advocate of needless spending, but I do support the occasional creativity / productivity enhancing purchase.  Need some ideas?  How about a colorful set of dry erase markers, a calendar themed to your liking, a gigantic bulletin board, and an art-styled writing table?

How “easy” are you? Forget the childish definition regarding someone’s willingness to jump into the sack… that’s not the topic here. How easy are you to work with? How easy are you to get a hold of? How easy are you to understand? Do your friends consider you to be “easy”? How about your colleagues or customers?

Your ability to be “easy” is the absolute number one key to creating and maintaining successful relationships, both business related and personal. People like things to be easy. If they have to unexpectedly struggle with someone or something, they usually give up without hesitation.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into the first 3 questions asked above.

How easy are you to work with?

Do you listen to other people’s opinions and feedback? Or do you run a “my way or the highway” operation? It’s all about teamwork in life. Your friends, colleagues and customers are part of your team.

You all coexist in a massive support system maintained by the natural exchange of giving and taking. The “give and take” exchange involves ideas, goals, advice, products, services, etc. If all you do is take without giving anything back, you will never be easy to work with and you will eventually fail.

How easy are you to get a hold of?

If people cannot get a hold of you, you are not being easy. Never underestimate the value of keeping an open line of communication. Your general availability and accessibility to others is extremely important to them.

When someone calls a friend, colleague or business contact, they have the intention of speaking to this person on the other end of the line. When this person doesn’t answer, it might slightly frustrate them. If this same situation occurs frequently, they may quit calling altogether.

How easy are you to understand?

It is natural human instinct to be skeptical of the unknown. If you and your product are not easy to understand, you will always be the unknown… And most people will likely keep their distance.

The most successful people have the ability to communicate effectively. The most successful products operate as their users expect. Why? Because in both cases they are easy to understand.

The Bottom Line: Being “easy” is a big part of being successful.