You know that feeling when you’re expecting guests? You tidy up, but you don’t go overboard. You make sure there’s no underwear on the coffee table, but you don’t alphabetize your spice rack. That’s exactly how I want you to think about productivity. After years of teaching people how to get more of the right stuff done, I’ve noticed something interesting: There’s a sweet spot between chaos and over-organization. I call it your “minimum viable organization”. Some structure is good. Having a...
19 days ago • 1 min read
The other day, I was chatting with a client. She’s extremely busy, with many responsibilities at work and at home. She values her time very highly. Because she has so much going on, it’s tricky for her to find time to focus on her most important projects. She said: “I’d love to have regular blocks of focused work on my calendar.” “And then, from my master task list, I want to drag tasks into those focus blocks.” Her first question: what’s the right tool for this? I immediately thought of...
26 days ago • 1 min read
What’s the difference between an amateur and a professional? An amateur messes around. He doesn’t take things seriously. He doesn’t have an objective in mind. He’s just playing. That’s fine when we’re building a model railroad or learning to bake our own bread or playing tennis with friends. The stakes are low. Who cares if the end result sucks? But your personal productivity is too important to take this approach. We’re talking about your career, here. We’re talking about your life! Don’t...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Tomorrow it’s Labor Day in the United States, a federal holiday. It’s the unofficial end of summer. School holidays are over and people are getting back to work. Even if you don’t live in the States, statistically speaking you probably live in the northern hemisphere. A new season is starting. A season of more work and less play. That makes this a good time to refresh some work skills. Why? Let me illustrate with one of my favorite activities: skydiving. Skydiving is an expensive sport that...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
You might not want to hear this. I debated whether to tell you. But I’ve never shied away from saying it like it is. Perhaps that’s because I’m Dutch—we’re famous for being direct. Or perhaps it’s that I secretly enjoying needling people a little. Either way, I’m going to tell you. Recently, I sent out a little survey, asking people what they struggle with the most. Here’s one guy’s answer: I am so busy that whatever I do, I am still unable to do the minimum. This makes me so overwhelmed. So...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Do you badly need to organize and prioritize your very long to-do lists? Now’s the time. Why? Two reasons. First, every day that you continue to be disorganized and overwhelmed is costing you. Without prioritization and focus, you’re not moving forward. Second, the solution to this problem is about to get more expensive: I’m increasing the price of my task management courses by $50. At the new prices, it’s still a no-brainer investment. The peace of mind you’ll have from organizing your...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Imagine you buy a nice new wardrobe. It’s made from solid wood, it’s got brass handles, and it has plenty of space for hangers for your nice shirts. It has compartments for your pants, compartments for your socks, a dedicated space for your belts—the whole shebang. So you put the wardrobe together and start filling it up. You iron your shirts. You fold your sweaters and your pants. You roll up your belts. You neatly tuck them all away. Satisfied, you admire the results of your work. Before,...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
That thing you’ve been wanting to do—that thing you’ve been working towards—that thing you’ve been watching other people and wondering, “can I do it?” You can do it. I remember when I first got the idea that I wanted to make money online. (Yes, it was about me at the time. These days, I realize that the joy comes from helping people much more so than from earning money.) It was 2017 and I was listening to lots of podcasts featuring people who were making hundreds of thousands of dollars, if...
2 months ago • 3 min read
One of my favorite to-do apps will be getting a huge update. It’s getting a new feature that will make it much easier to plan your days and to get your tasks done on time. Even if you don’t use this particular app, read on, because understanding the concept behind this feature can help you meet your deadlines. The huge update I’m talking about is coming to Todoist. So, what is it? Todoist is getting separate “do” and “due” dates: Amir Salihefendić @amix3k What if you could separate the due...
2 months ago • 2 min read
