To be as productive as possible, there is no need to keep up with it - it is enough to complete the three most important things every day.
Chris Bailey, author of My Productive Year, formulated Rule of Three as follows:
"At the beginning of each day, before you get started, decide what three tasks you want to complete by the end of the day."
Often we evaluate our productivity based on the number of cases done. She/he did a lot - good, did a little - bad. At the same time, we forget that these cases may have different meanings. What is the use if you have done nine of the ten planned, but the tenth was the most important?
Productivity is not the number of checkmarks proudly put on the to-do list, but several correctly selected and completed important tasks, on which the success of your business depends to the greatest extent.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/work-deliberately-instead-reactively-rule-3/
Why should you apply this rule?
You can consciously plan your work hours.
In most cases, the employee’s working time is spontaneously distributed between many short-term tasks: incoming calls and letters, urgent tasks from the management and other routine. The rule of three allows you to prioritize and first of all engage in what is of greatest value to the company.
It’s not so easy to confuse you.
During the day, something inevitably distracts us from business, and sometimes it is not easy to remember where we left off. But if you have only three important things in your plans, you always know what to return to.
The unimportant will become apparent.
If some minor matters are postponed again and again the next day or week, this is an occasion to think. If a task has never been in the top 3 for a long time, you probably should not waste time on it at all.
https://productcoalition.com/economics-depend-on-productivity-gains-to-drive-economic-growth-c4640f87c8f
How to use the rule of three as efficiently as possible?
Apply it to long-term plans.
Think about what goals you want to achieve in a week, month or year, select the three main vectors and build your daily plans in such a way that each day brings you closer to the desired results. True, choosing three goals for a month is much more difficult than coming up with three things for a day. The opposite method will help you here: consider what of the unrealized will upset you the least at the end of the week or month.
Write tasks to notepad.
The idea of using paper and a pen in the digital age may seem strange, but it has a reasonable grain: manual recording is better remembered.
Plan in the evening.
You can, of course, ponder three things a day on the way to work. However, it is much more efficient to plan them before bedtime, and spend the morning energy directly on the implementation of plans.
Summarize.
At the end of the day (week, month, year), analyze whether you coped with the tasks. Did you manage to do everything outlined? Has this led you to the desired result? Gradually, you will learn to better calculate your strength and time and your productivity will increase significantly.
Retreat from the rule if necessary.
If you have done the three important things that you’ve planned, and the day isn’t over yet, do less important things. And do not reproach yourself if you were unable to cope with three tasks for today: in any case, you did everything you could. Perhaps you overestimated your strength or today is simply not your day.
Adapt to the situation.
Alas, sometimes events take an unexpected turn and ruin all plans. At such moments it is very important to quickly re-evaluate the situation. To identify new goals and understand how to proceed further, try to answer the following question: “What will bring the maximum benefit for me in this situation?”.
Questions:
- Have you ever heard of such a method? How effective do you think it is?
- What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
Comments
I have never heard about it before but there is plenty of methods. Probably it is effective in some way but i do not want to try because it did not convince me.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
Right now i am just using google notes to collect tasks and at morning or at the end of the day i am just moving some of them to the top which i want to complete in that day. To be honest i do not know name of the other methods but i heard about some of them. I remember one name of it and it is called pomodoro technique.
2. I don't know any rules that increase productivity. I try to intertwine the performance of less and more complex and demanding activities. Then a task that is simple and by the way is obligatory I treat as a rest from the more difficult one.
I have never heard about the Rule of Three before. There are so many methods to be super productive that it is impossible to single out at least one universal. So this one mentioned in the presentation can be effective for someone because it is enough easy and help focus on really important tasks.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
As for me, I have tried a few methods of increasing productivity. The most effective for me is to write tasks in smartphone notes for a week and then distribute them by day. At the end of each day, I usually summarize my activities. Of course, it happens that some tasks become unfinished. I try not to worry too much about this :)
Never heard of it, but it sounds quite effective in the long run.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
Prioritzing things based on a ratio how long it may take to finish this divided but how many days I have till deadline. Also my motivation for doing such tasks is another factor.
2. First of all I try to do things regularly to don't have much work just before deadlines. The second thing is that I have a list of tasks that I have to complete before some date and I do them. The current situation forced me to be a bit more monotonous because I do shopping in online markets once in 2 weeks, so I don't really think about "what I need for tomorrows dinner" which is actually good, because I quickly find some products in my fridge which could be used to cook something. Also, I try to sleep well. Believe me or not, but if you sleep well, many problems disappear, you are happier and eventually, you do more things than if you woke up 1 hour before and be tired for a whole day.
I've never heard of it before, but there are many methods that allow us to be more productive. My favorite is to put everything away 24 hours a day, which guarantees the centre rewards our brains with easy and undeserved dopamine jumps. It helps to fight laziness and be productive.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
To me, being productive means "Doing the right things, the right way, the right time." I plan my day in advance, I set my goals, manage my time, and avoid using social media, Well, we spend about 40 minutes of our time on YouTube every day, and with Facebook we have a total of 75 minutes.
I'm using a variation of it, but instead of paper I use apps in my phone and on desktop to write done tasks and ideas. I think it is very effective especially together with gameficiation, where we treat doing stuff as a game.
2.
To-do lists are amazing and I highely recommend them, also trying to break down complex tasks into smaller ones and estimate the time they make helps better understand the problems we need to solve and the stuff we need to do.
it would be great if all people perceived tasks as a game and at the same time were afraid to lose. Then the most gambling of us would be the most successful.
2. By current conditions you mean the lockdown associated with the virus? Nevertheless, like I said before, I use the app (ms todo, previously Wunderlist) and I set the due date of each task at least once a week which adds them to the calendar. If I don’t do a task on time, I’ll have much more work later, which is enough to keep me productive.
I have never heard exactly of 3 rules for a day, however I always knew that a day needs to be planned and it is important to set some daily goals and achieve them. I think this is very effective, it helps not only increase productivity, but also fight laziness and help to improve yourself. During quarantine I don`t have a particular schedule for a day, I have studies, work and after all of that I just want to watch my movie/serial and all.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
In the current conditions I am not as productive as I was before. I complete only tasks which I am required to, thus have no time for any extra tasks or even If I have I watch movies and enjoy free time which I have. I think these days we get so much stress, so it is very important to get positive emotions and relax.
Probably in this case you do not need any special method. It’s enough to just remember the consequences if you don’t make your action list. If you remind yourself about this every time and realize this, then it seems to me that is enough.
I checked Matt D'Avella on YouTube. I will try to spend time with his content.
Thank you!
2. I don't really use any methods. Overall if I have something to do, I just set a date, which is the last possible termin in which I'll be able to manage doing it, considering some sudden minor problems. that can appear. Then if I have free time and nothing more important to do, I just take care of it. It's not the best thing to do as we can pile a lot of things in such way, but it usually works good enough for me.
Have you ever heard of such a method? How effective do you think it is?
This is one of the many, many methods of increasing self productivity, blahblahblah. There are like millions of them, and surprisingly, they all work.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
My own method -- do shit. If it is necessary. And it works
1. Nope, I have never heard about the Rule of Three before. How effective is it? I think that there is no answer. Everyone acquires knowledge and skills differently, we can only speak in general terms.
2. To be honest, I don't use any methods to increase productivity, because I think I can handle everything, and that's pretty good. It is not easy, but important are the good effects :)
2. I do not use any methods to increase productivity and I do not think that I will apply even one of the methods in the future. I just do what I have to do.
2. The best method of enormous increasing productivity I know is to do everything just right before a deadline. Yeah, it can be quite stressful and works only for a short period of time but I haven't seen a more productive person than someone who should do his diploma or work project until tomorrow morning.
To be honest I have never heard about such method. I think it could be very effective but it’s all depends on human. Today, we have a lot to do. Choosing only 3 task that are most important could significantly improve our performance.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I try to planning a day. If some task is going wrong because It’s not my day then I change it to another. This prevent me to waste of time. I write important things to google calendar to remember what I have to do in next day. I don't use any know methods. Maybe I use but I don't know it's names.
There are plenty of methods for being productive out there and I am not sure whether I heard about this one. I think that productivity is something that's hard to measure. I mean how much of my time does it take to make a dinner or to go to the shop? It's almost impossible to compare one thing to another. So I don't know the answer to that. I think that we have to build the tools ourselves. You need to develop the skills to have success. And we don't know whether it's learning tools or learning new ways to do what you do.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
Planning is a way to go. Cutting the social media also helps in saving some time for being more productive. Short rests are a key for me for instance. It freshens up the way of thinking wich could be crucial at the times when you struggle with the task.
2. I'm not really good at time and tasks management. I think deadlines are what motivates me the most and I'm doing quite good so far.
2. I’m not a productive person. I postpone everything i can or i don’t to those things. But i know one method to do things, when i don’t want to do this i say to myself to do it.
2. I used to love doing to do list's, using mind map to plan if I have more projects going on and to be honest the best way to be productive is just getting task done.
2 / Planning your tasks. Once you understand what time you are working best for, make a to-do list for your tasks and goals for the day to prioritize projects based on your natural performance fluctuations. To-do lists not only help to set priorities, but also to remember the whole set of tasks, track the progress of their implementation and simplify the transfer - if tasks that remain outstanding at the end of the day can be transferred to tomorrow's list. In general, you should not add more to the list than can be completed in a day. Projects that take weeks or months to complete are best monitored on a calendar with special reminders to keep track of key milestones and deadlines in a specific chronological sequence.
I have never heard of such a method before, but when I read about it now I think it makes a lot of sense. Often I get caught up in numerous small tasks and I lose focus of what my goal actually is. To be honest I probably will not write down my three tasks every day, but reading about this method will definitely make me think about which of my goals are more important than others and hopefully it will help me prioritize my tasks.
3. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I do not use any specific methods of increasing productivity. My approach is just being as rested as possible. Knowing my organism, I think that I am most productive when I have had a good night's sleep, a healthy breakfast, and a cup of strong coffee. Whenever I focus on achieving those three things, my productivity is almost always increased.
No I haven’t heard about it before but it doesn’t convince me fully. I don’t plan anything on daily basis but I still think that I can be a productive person.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I don’t have any method like the one presented. What I do is just once a week I just try to avoid anything related strictly with relax. What it is, depends on a person. It might be listening to music, watching tv series, playing video games. I do that to decrease my level of dopamine. In today’s world we are stimulated by so many things that it is hard for us to focus on the most important stuff. When I want to increase my productivity I try to avoid listening to music or watching movies on YouTube, even the interesting ones because from one movie there is a short path to another one and this way we are wasting our time very frequently.
1. I have never heard of this particular method, but I did hear, and even apply one similiar to this. I do believe that concentrating only on few specific tasks is better, as it makes it easy to Focus on things you believe are important.
2. A method I'm currently applying is 13x4, which I've learned from Tom Cassidy's Udemy course. It's a method that makes you split 13 important tasks over 4 main areas, and Focus on one of those tasks each week. It makes it easier to manage all important things in your life, especially when it comes to long-term goals.
I have not heard of this method. However, after analyzing it, I came to the document that I have been using it for some time. I don't know that someone dressed it in a scientific framework. Every day I try to use 2-3 things that are important to me, plus some small things. In the evening I wonder what tomorrow is important to me.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I give my best. This is probably the best way to improve efficiency.
2. In current conditions I try to stick to daily habits such as waking up at the same time on every work day, do my morning routine, make myself a coffee and sit to desk to start my usual work day.
1. Have you ever heard of such a method? How effective do you think it is?
It's funny, as in a big part I follow these rules already, but I've organically developed (or discovered?) them on my own, without following any specific "productivity guideline". It works, it's intuitive and I can recommend it to anyone looking for a more structured way of working
.
2.What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
As mentioned above, I've already implemented what's described in your article. In addition to that I used to (or still do in small extent) GTD framework, as I like very strict frameworks. GTD gives you very simple rules which you can't misinterpret.
2.I do try to wake up early, head straight to my desk and start work as soon as I wake up. Working out in the mornings also makes me more productive. Once in a while I go make coffee in between meetings and that little break also increases my productivity.
It also helps if you do the things you have to do right away - that way you don't leave anything to do last minute.
2. I have my daily routine- doing some cool stuff once I got up from the bed (pls read my answer from week 4, here's the post: http://konwersatorium1-ms-pjwstk.blogspot.com/2020/03/week-4-2303-2903-how-do-you-start-day.html). I’m also planning a lot and what’s more important- I’m sticking to these plans. Pro tip – power-off phones notifications during your work to increase your productivity by about 200% 😉
I didn't hear about it. I can't really tell how effective it is until I try it. This type of methods work differently on everyone.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I try to list all the things that I have to do in a day. I tend to relax and meditate sometimes to relax my mind, it really helps to relieve stress and make your day way more productive than it was, same with working out. I was trying to make some reminders too but they just annoyed me a lot. In the past I tried to read in a notebook about my day but I couldn't find time for it every day so right now I write in it like once a week or so.
No, I haven't. I think that prioritizing things always helps you to be more effective and it's quite an easy method to apply for everyday tasks.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I use a Pomodoro method. It helps me being focused on what I am doing now and what my goal is, it's good for my occupational hygiene because it forces me to do brakes and also it's a very rewarding method - without it, I tend to have those long sittings on single, badly specified task without feeling progress - which of course I was doing, but it was harder to grasp it since it was still one unfinished task. I highly recommend it.
2. In the place where I work, there is no possibility of remote work, so when I am at work, I try to make the most of my time and do all the most important things that accumulate due to the current world situation. Although there is a lot of work now, I do not complain and I am happy that I still have a job and do not have to stress that I will lose it, because such stress can also negatively affect our results.
Yes, I've known some very similar methods before. I think prioritizing is a very important part of doing your job. Without prioritizing it may often occur that you've been wasting your time.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I apply at least two rules for my every-day job. Two rules that I think are from Getting things done book. If an simple, short task is to be done, I don't schedule it for later, but I do it right away. If something is not important enough to be able to plan a time for it in near future, I'd leave it off as not-a-task.
2. Current to be more productive I use basic supplements such as magnesium or omega-3, I try to get up at the same time and not go to bed too late, additionally I note what I spend my time on.
Yes, I have heard about this method and I'm trying to follow it. The visualizations of plans and achievements motivates. Other aspects that are described are also effective.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I make summary on the current day and plan the next day in the evening. I wake up, make a cup of coffee, reviewing my daily plan, choose the most important task and start working on it, than after 2 hour I have breakfast, then continue working, after that lunch, small break, work, dinner, summary, plan, some house work, break on book or movie and sleep. Of course, there are some task that I underestimated, in such cases I make a review of my daily plan.
Yes I have heard about this method. I know people who use this method. This method is very useful for people with anxiety and depression. There are other methods that are good too. You have to research each method and try them out for yourself to find out what works for you. Something can work for one and fail for the other. It is just the way that our brains are wired.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I don't have any method to increase my productivity. I work a lot and study a lot. I am a very strange person and learning programming is something I do in my free time. Often times I have a good work flow and this maximizes my production to 100%. When I am not processing at 100% it is most likely at least 75%. I always try my best. Maybe my focus is more on my work, I only have to remember to be productive around the house.
1. Have you ever heard of such a method? How effective do you think it is?
I have never heard of this method. It is interesting although in my opinion it is not always possible to divide tasks into 3. And not every small task can be completed in one day.
Creative work is characterized by the fact that some things come quickly and easily and much more often other things are born in pain and suffering.
2. What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
When I have a problem and I can't solve it for all day, doing something else and trying to solve the problem the next day helps me. Also when I learn something more extensive and it starts to bore me instead of quitting learning, I reduce study time but I spend some time on a given problem every day despite the lack of motivation.
Yes i have heard of it before. I think it depends on the persons mind before applying it. For example i am very bad at planning and it makes my mind unfocused. I ve always failed in applying to do tasks day plan. I have much better planning method.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
Having habbits. I started do doing things as a habbit and it helped me to organise everything in my head and get things done.
Yes. I have heard about this method and other very similar methods.
I think more important than to do lists is prioritization. We are not able to do everything at the same moment and even during the same day, so we need to choose. We make this kind of decisions everyday so it is good to know how to do that correctly.
What methods of increasing productivity do you use in the current conditions (or which have you used before)?
I think that everyone need to find out some methods that works for them. Something can work for me, but is useless for others.
For me it's doing one thing at the same time, pomodoro, kanban, turndown trend report.
1. This method sounds quite intuitive, however I have not heard about it before. I think it can really work. I sometimes write things I want to do in the morning but usually the list is too long and it does not work in the end. And then I feel a bit demotivated as if I failed to do everything I wanted.
2. I always tried to work regularly and do not postpone things so that I wouldn't have to be nervous about not being able to make things on time. However this method does not work very well for me now. I think I need some routine on daily basis to be effective and these days many things are different from what it used to be and it does not work for me.