Quotes About Productivity

Too much information creates the same result as too little: you don't have what you need, when and in the way you need it.

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be: "meetings." —DAVE BARRY

This would be a Zen-like state of productivity, in which you deal with what's present from a perspective that is both detached and fully engaged.

That said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with creating a quick, informal, short list of "if I have time, I'd really like to . . ." kinds of things, picked from your Next Actions inventory.

Lots of people have been making lists for years but have never found the procedure to be particularly effective.

When time itself turned into a work factor, personal calendars became a key work tool.

Frankly, as soon as you have two things to do stored only in your mind, you've generated personal failure, because you can't do them both at the same time. This produces a pervasive stress factor whose source can't be pinpointed.

Anything that does not belong where it is, the way it is, is an "open loop," which will be pulling on your attention if it's not appropriately managed. In

There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the real labor of thinking. —THOMAS EDISON

Uncaptured, unclarified, and therefore unmanaged things that you have agreed to do own a piece of you and give you no rest.

Getting things done, and feeling good about it, means being willing to recognize, acknowledge, and appropriately manage all the things that have your consciousness engaged. Mastering the art of stress-free productivity requires it.

there are five discrete stages that we go through as we deal with our work. We (1) collect things that command our attention; (2) process what they mean and what to do about them; and (3) organize the results, which we (4) review as options for what we choose to (5) do.

What we now mean by knowledge is information in action, information focused on results. —Peter F. Drucker

sort of planning activity: (1) those that still have your attention even after you've determined their next actions, and (2) those about which potentially

contexto, tiempo disponible, energía disponible y prioridad.

A Projects list Project support material Calendar actions and information Next Actions lists A Waiting For list Reference material A Someday/Maybe list

Appropriately used, checklists can be a tremendous asset in enhancing personal productivity and relieving mental pressure.

I have discovered that one of the major reasons many people haven't had a lot of success with "getting organized" is simply that they have tried to do all five phases at one time.

Open loops can include everything from really big to-do items like "End world hunger" to the more modest "Hire new assistant" to the tiniest task such as "Replace porch lightbulb.

Handle what has your attention and you'll then discover what really has your attention.

You have to use your mind to get things off your mind.

Trying to keep a list on the calendar, which must then be reentered on another day if items don't get done, is demoralizing and a waste of time.

Your mind goes through five steps to accomplish virtually any task: 1 | Defining purpose and principles 2 | Outcome visioning 3 | Brainstorming 4 | Organizing 5 | Identifying next actions

Throw away, shred, or recycle anything that has no potential future action or reference value.