Braindump Productively.
The word itself sounds unpleasant, but I assure you, in the context I’ll be using it in, you will come to like using this word. There are other words that describe the process but I like this one because it implies an urgency.
Brainstorming is okay… but not exactly the right definition. Brainstorming usually involves a collective. A group of people gathered to solve a problem by proposing ideas as a solution.
“Braindumping” is something that one person can do and it doesn’t really have to be only about solving problems.
Let’s say, for example, you would like to write a book on a topic you are very knowledgeable about. But to write about your unique experiences, you have to list the things you know. The best way I know of involves jotting down random keywords in no specific order based on your experience about the topic.
Let’s pretend your area of expertise is playing the guitar. A random list might include:
tuning, tablature, theory, styles, players, strings, picks, types of guitars, techniques, amplification, performance, practice, scales, accompaniment, etc...
So the list here is by no means complete until every last conceivable detail is out of your head and on to the paper (or computer screen).
When I do this exercise on a given topic I aim for speed because I’m trying to get my thoughts out as quickly as possible without giving myself time to censure anything. If I bog down and linger on a thought before finishing the “dump” I risk the chance of losing other valuable details. Not good.
The point of the exercise is to express every idea, tenet, belief, doctrine and descriptive detail you can about the subject at hand. Try to complete the exercise at one sitting. Let the list incubate for a while. Then go at it a second time filling in where needed. If you’re satisfied that you have indeed captured all that you want to, that’s it.
Why is braindumping so valuable? Once every thing is out of your head and onto the paper or screen you can look at it more objectively. Sorting, processing and putting the information into an intelligible order becomes much easier. Whether you are writing a book, article, or blog post… using the braindump technique lets you to see the information from a higher altitude, allowing you to write about it clearly without worrying about organizing it.
Productivity and The Solo worker
A characteristic of working by yourself, depending on your perspective, is solitude or loneliness.
For some, the idea of working alone is daunting. They’re used to having co-workers around. The thought of not having anyone to talk to through out the day is anathema to them. Even though the work they engage in might not require anyone else to partner or collaborate with, they still feel the need to be social.
For others, the idea of working alone is liberating. They have the freedom to work without interruption or distraction. They don’t necessarily feel the need to be social especially around the proverbial water cooler. If the work requires the input of others they’re just as content to work via email as in person or on the phone.
From a productivity perspective, working on your own projects without interruption is ideal. As a solo worker I appreciate quietness in my work space. But is it always good to be on your own without the interaction of others? I’m not so sure…
I think working non-stop without some diversion is bad medicine. Isolating yourself too long without breaks makes “Jack a dull boy”. Phone calls, emails, and IM are great communication tools but are definitely no substitute for face-to-face people time.
So what should you do if you work alone in your home office?
I try to schedule a lunch out of the shop at least once a week. I also take my laptop to a local coffee shop and happily peck away at the keyboard. The hum of conversation seems to help me get things done sometimes (as long as it stays low and indistinct…) plus it’s nice when your noticed by others (validating your existence as a human being).
Working alone has incredible benefits, just be careful that you don’t totally cut yourself off from talking to people. The world changes daily and you don’t want to miss anything.
The Right Way to Multitask
Do you get bogged down or bored on certain jobs like I do? It happens from time to time. Today’s post will show you my favorite way of dealing with that issue. But first, we hear a lot about multitasking and why we shouldn’t multitask. And I agree. Mostly…
Plenty of experts agree that multi-tasking doesn’t work. Imagine eating a bowl of cereal, having a phone conversation and driving to work on a busy morning commute. Don’t laugh. I read about such a thing happening. I’m willing to bet you witnessed or heard about something similar.
In theory, multitasking should be a good thing to do from a time management perspective, except for one glaring fact. Human beings can only concentrate on one complicated task at a time to produce optimal performance. Low value activities like paper shuffling while answering phone calls doesn’t require a lot of concentration. Having the same phone call while feeding plywood through the table saw is a sure-fire way to get an ambulance ride to the local hospital.
Should we bother trying to multitask?
I think there is a right way to multitask… Wait just a second… hear me out first.
Here’s why… Occasionally, I’m slogging through a particularly boring task and I just can’t make any worthwhile progress. What to do?
I read about a technique a top copywriter used to get through this obstacle. His solution: “work on multiple assignments”. Having many projects on the go is vital to his productivity. Now he doesn’t work on them simultaneously… He works on them until his interest wanes and no longer feels like continuing. He simply switches to a different project and starts “fresh”. The change of content is enough to kickstart his interest and he is able to get more productivity out of his day.
The type of work you do doesn’t matter. Whether you pound nails or pound keys, the more projects in the queue, the better. The idea is to have many projects to work on. Adjust your schedule and work on one task until boredom, fatigue, or ADD set in… then simply switch to another task.
The duration doesn’t matter unless a deadline is imminent. Sometimes I work only fifteen minutes before I burn out. I’ll switch to another one and work a half an hour before switching back for another fifteen minute round. Before you know it your day is done and you’ve got a lot of good work done!
Instead of calling it multitasking maybe a more accurate term should be coined like “switchtasking” or “multiswitching”. Oh well, just a thought.
3 Time Management Tips To Use Today
Here are three tips to improve your productivity and add to your time management skills that you can start using today.
Spending a lot of time on the phone has it’s upside. Scheduling appointments for phone interviews and conferences saves travel time and allows you the flexibility of working from your own office. Phone appointments conducted in your own office permits access to your own desk with everything at arms reach increasing your productivity.
Another upside benefit… You can dress for comfort in whatever attire suits you. It’s pretty much guaranteed, you’ll never hear a client ask what you’re wearing before the get into your conversation.
But as with any communication method there is a downside to spending large amounts of time on the phone. Interruptions and distractions usually top the list. Another downside item to consider is the fatigue factor. Even with specially designed headsets and wireless connectivity we still get tired.
So what can we do to offset these factors? Here are 3 suggestions:
Time Management Tip #1: Use Caller ID. An incoming call can be an interruption if it’s unscheduled. Suppliers, clients, and colleagues don’t always know when it’s convenient to talk. A social call from family and friends likewise is a distraction that can probably wait until later. A quick check of the incoming number gives you the choice of whether to accept or defer the call. If the call can wait… let it go to voicemail and catch up on a break.
Time Management Tip #2: Group Like Tasks Together. Schedule time during your day to return calls that need to be taken care of. Customer service inquiries, supplier notifications, or questions from staff all qualify. Save the personal calls for lunch or coffee breaks. (Tip: Let them know that’s how it is… and it shouldn’t matter if you are self-employed… in that case, I’d make it mandatory!)
Time Management Tip #3: Take Frequent Breaks. It doesn’t matter if you are sitting at your desk or standing at a workstation, having a headset on or handset stuck to your ear is tiring. It is up to you to take a few minutes every half-hour or hour and change positions. Stretch, walk, or lie down to banish the fatigue and use those few minutes as quick recharge. It works.
There you have it. Three time management tips for maximum productivity when doing phone work. In follow up a post I’ll be looking at three specific techniques to optimize your desktop filing procedures.
Book Recommendation: The Wealthy Freelancer
Solopreneur, freelancer, consultant, independent contractor… no matter what your designation The Wealthy Freelancer offers vital and timely information to help you build your solo business. While corporate businesses downsize their ranks, the entrepreneurial world grows with those who find themselves out of a job but excited about making their own way. Now is the time to put the valuable experience you’ve gained to good use becoming your own boss. But be careful…
Having solid expertise isn’t enough to guarantee customer’s will beat a path to your door. That’s where the secrets found in The Wealthy Freelancer can help you start off on the right foot.
The author’s insist:
this isn’t a “how to start a freelance business” book. It’s really a “great ideas” book… filled with proven ideas that efficiently and predictably lead you down the road to freelance success.
Twelve Freelancing Secrets fill this volume with each chapter answering the questions that plague most newly-minted solo professionals. Doing the “50 minute focus” technique described in the chapter entitled Secret #9 is a great technique that you can squeeze in anywhere, anytime. A great technique to use when you’re tired, under deadline, or just feeling unmotivated.
The book is penned by three freelance pros, Steve Slaunwhite, Ed Gandia, and Pete Savage, who share their best practices they’ve used to grow their own businesses.
Solidly written and an easy read, the ideas presented are useful and actionable. Whether mastering the mental game or marketing your services, with a few slight tweaks you can apply the techniques to your specific niche or area of expertise.
Be sure to include this valuable addition to your personal growth library.
Do This Before You Start Your Next Project
Completing jobs whether you are an author writing a book, a carpenter making tables or salesperson selling mobile phones, your productivity is dependent on the initial (but important) work done beforehand.
For example, A very proficient writer once wrote that the best essays offer only one idea. A big idea. An idea so compelling it can be grasped in a sentence or two. Once you have this theme the rest of the essay supports that thought.
But how do you discover that thought?
Preparatory work.
For the writer who wants to write persuasive articles, the idea likely comes by reading, then forming the idea into a cogent article before any ink leaves the pen.
The carpenter might review the drawings or blueprint then “see” the completed item in his mind before he even grasps a tool.
The salesperson might think about her ideal client, knowing her client’s particular need, and decide to target business owners who meet that profile before she knocks on a single door.
The key is preparatory work. Before you begin to work productively you need the information to form the result in your mind. Create the vision clearly in your mind regardless if the goal is a completed article, an oak table or front-end sale.
Your particular trade, career or business might be different from these examples, but with a little creative thinking the concept can be applied to anything. For most projects, the hard work is the prep work, but all that good work done at the outset makes the whole job easier.
Kaizen for personal productivity
Ongoing improvement doesn’t just happen… improvement takes the right kind of effort.
Some years back I came across a Japanese word called “Kaizen” which, loosely defined, means “continuous improvement of working practices and personal efficiency”. I liked the word immediately. Besides being able to encapsulate a large meaning into one word (which is productive in itself), the Japanese must have a prior insight into personal efficiency (otherwise why bother to coin the word).
I did a bit of digging, poking and unearthing to see if I could find evidence of the origin of this descriptive word. Turns out, that it’s a combination of two words “Kai” and “Zen”. The former means “change”; the latter means “make better”. The two together literally mean “make a change for the better”.
The Toyota Production System originated this philosophy and turned it into a mindset. This mindset was intended to apply to a large business. To continuously make small incremental steps to improve every day, every employee was required to make 3-5 suggestions to improve processes every month (great idea, wouldn’t you agree?).
In the source article I found they listed 3 rules for employees to help make suggestions. The suggestions should:
1. Add no people
2. Add no space
3. Spend no money.
Pretty tough order to fill. Most of our solutions regularly break at least one of these rules.
Violating any one of the rules adds cost and dissolves the “Kaizen” effect. The underlying message of the rules really means getting more out of your existing resources. Every single day.
We can take this concept and apply it on singular level, down where the rubber meets the road.
I have 5 suggestions.
1. Think about how you’re doing things now. Go so far as to write them out.
2. Pick one thing you feel you would like to improve upon.
3. List 3-5 action ideas you like to test against this norm.
4. Over the next few days implement one change at a time.
5. Review. Did it work?
For example:
1) I made a shopping list of things I’d like to improve long term.
2) I settled on writing; more and better.
3)– a. I determined to write 400-500 words every day (about the length of easily digestible article).
—- b. I copied in longhand some pieces of writing I thought were exceptional. (If you haven’t tried this before let me just say for now… it works!).
—- c. I started a journal to get better at expressing random thoughts.
—- d. I set aside one hour of time first thing every morning for writing. That helped a lot. Rather than banking on having some time in the evenings, I had a set time of day to write.
4) I added these elements one at a time over a short period to build the habit. Don’t add more than one at a time. Remember the idea is… incremental change.
5) The result? I went from years of writing virtually nothing to habitually writing every day and enjoying the whole process. I’ve completed many writing assignments, used my writing skills to improve my marketing materials, and to creating the article your reading now. The best part? It didn’t cost me money, space, or extra people. Yet the skill will prove priceless over time.
Even though I’m still far from an accomplished author I’ll continue to develop my skills daily through use. I set some goals that will force me to stretch further. A book project, video scripting, and writing more content for article directories are on the horizon.
Depending on your circumstances your list will likely be a lot different than mine. Identify an area or habit you’d like to change, improve or adopt. List some small ideas you implement easily. Do one at a time and make it habit over a three or four weeks (more on habits in another article).
Challenge yourself and commit to kaizen methodology for long term growth.
Reference source article :http://www.gembutsu.com/newsletters/newsletter8-07/WhatdoesKaizenmean.htm
5 Tips For Making Your Workspace More Efficient
There is value of having a resting place for every tool you own. It doesn’t matter whether the tool is a hammer, a video projector or carpet steamer. It is difficult, if not impossible, to measure the cost of having the-hole-punch-within-arms-reach vs. having-to-look-for-hole-punch, the irritation because hole-punch somehow wandered off, and then the cost of replacing the said hole-punch.
Worse than that is the frustrating loss of concentration all because of a stupid hole-punch.
Here are the 5 tips:
1. A clear desktop or table. It’s my preference for one reason only. The clear area permits clear thinking. Spread out your project. Have a look at all the elements. Problems become easier to solve when you can see it visually.
2. Have your most used tools within arms reach. Arrange your area so that you don’t have to over-reach, get up, or walk any farther than is necessary.
3. Invest in a single-cup coffee maker. For me, coffee is an essential elixir conducive to productivity. Besides making a great tasting brew, most models are clean to operate. Best of all, No pots to wash out and no filters to clean.
4. a) Standing: Anti-fatigue mats. Your hips, legs and back will thank you.
b) Sitting: a comfortable chair with proper support. Your hips, legs and back will thank you.
5. A whiteboard. I have a 48″ x 36″ mounted to the wall next to my writing desk. The large expanse allows me to think out loud. I use various colors to illustrate, flesh out ideas, and draw cool pictures. Very valuable.
Ok, maybe your list might be slightly different than mine but right now, this works for me. Tell me what your area looks like and why it’s better.
Time Management Tool: Procrastination
Taking on more and more clients in a service business would seem like a great thing to do. After all, more clients equals more revenue, right? The answer is: Maybe.
Solo service providers often enjoy a closer working relationship with clients that larger companies don’t. The longer my clients stayed with me, the better. Of course, long term clients mean more income.
A sticky problem came up though; I had too many clients to reasonably service and time management became a serious issue.
I work alone and I like working alone. No apologies. But here’s the thing; You cannot do everything. There just isn’t enough of you to go around. Sooner or later, you’ll have to be in two or three places at once.
When it came to my clients any interruption was dealt with quickly. Calls were answered quickly. Calls were returned quickly. All well and good until I looked at the numbers I was producing…
Dismal and Abysmal. Clearly, whatever I was doing played havoc with my productivity. What’s a guy to do?
I became a procrastinator. By choice. I admit it.
My motto became “Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow“.
Three things to do:
- set up a voicemail greeting saying you’re “unavailable” right at this moment
- become “unavailable”
- having the discipline to remain “unavailable”
Sounds bad when you put it like that.
The strategy worked great though. Turns out my clients didn’t expect me to drop everything I was doing. No one complained. I got more work done.
If you work alone, as I do, the best thing for your productivity is to put a buffer between you and your client. You need that time to process and respond rather than react. Most people won’t even notice the difference.
But you will.
Can you find the discipline to do it?
How One Small Change Yields a Huge Gain in Productivity
Friend: “What time do you get up?”
Me: “My day starts 5:00 am”.
Friend: “Why on earth would you get up that early?! You are so motivated!”…
Me: “Motivated?… Nah, I just do it. It’s just routine.”
It’s odd to answer these questions whenever they are asked because arising early has been a natural thing to do. It never occurred to me that it might be unusual.
After the morning rituals, a cup of coffee, and letting the pooches out for a stroll, I settle down for a (hopefully) productive hour at the keyboard. I get some good work done before most people are out of bed. I find the thought gratifying.
The mornings are quiet and I enjoy the solitude. As a result, I think I do my best writing in the early hours. To my way of thinking the first hour of every day should be invested doing some work on your most important goals.
That first hour is golden and can have a huge benefit throughout the day. If you put in a good, solid hour on the important long term things, the good feeling of accomplishment will spur you on to greater productivity as a consequence.
Things that you shouldn’t do first:
- don’t check email
- don’t listen to the news
- don’t turn on the TV
A few things to include:
- drink water
- a morning stretch routine
- be thankful
The early mornings aren’t something to dread as if you’re being deprived of a few precious moments of sleep. Little changes like these will have a subtle but profound effect on the rest of the day. Eventually, arising early becomes a a habit that you give scant thought to. It’s becomes part of your nature and what you do.
In fact, if I had to make only one recommendation to you on how you could improve your productivity this year, I would say: Get up one hour earlier and use it wisely. Study, read, practice, write, rehearse on whatever skill you’d like to develop.
For you, It’s valuable time to sharpen skills. To others, you’ll appear driven and motivated.
Does that matter to you? …