My #1 Productivity Tip

By David B. Bohl | June 19, 2007 | No Responses Yet

After being asked how to be productive, here are a few tips for doing so: find a place (or places) where you are comfortable, and find something that works and stick with it. Take the time to discover what works best for you and stick with that.

I’ve been asked by several clients lately about productivity. They had noticed that I do get a lot accomplished during a typical week, and they wanted to know what I do to get things done.

After issuing my customary disclaimer about productivity porn, I suggested to them the obvious: find something that works and be willing to improve upon it.

But before you can get to that point, you have to be ready to be productive. You’re not a light switch. You can’t simply turn yourself on and off without any warning or warm-up.

Find a place (or places) where you’re comfortable. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate 30′ x 30′ office. It doesn’t have to be adorned with your favorite things - family photos, business awards, prized artwork, or inspirational books. It doesn’t even need to have every bit of technology that you’ll ever need. It simply has to be yours.

In this mobile age, you may have more than one space of your own. You might find that you’re incredibly productive at crunching numbers when you’re sitting at your desk, proficient at generating and answering emails at the local coffee house that offers Wi-Fi, and incredibly creative sitting in the common area in the local college’s Student Union.

I love the fact that I work out of a home office, so I spend time at my desk, on a lawn chair in my back yard, in a rocker on my back porch, and in a recliner in my family room.

Take the time. Discover what works best for you, and when.