Stress-free productivity does exist

Updated and expanded in May 2024.

The first time I wrote a blog post I was not pretty sure how to reach potential readers. I remember I posted a couple of tweets about it, hoping someone would notice. With the second post, I thought that posting it on Facebook would also help. As I was writing more articles, I added references in LinkedIn, Google Plus, StumbleUpon, Reddit and Tumblr. Then I thought that if the article had a picture, it also could be posted on Pinterest. Also, since I write all my articles in English and Spanish, and my audience is divided between Europe and America, it made sense to use different schedules so most people would notice.

Processing is the stage of the GTD workflow in which you make decisions. You get all the stuff you have collected and, one by one, decide what are you going to do with them.

For some time I am using the Pomodoro Technique for executing a good part of my tasks. I do not use it for everything, only for activities that require more than 30 minutes and a certain level of concentration, such as programming, designing and writing articles (this is just a personal choice, since it is where I find it more valuable). Its greater benefit is that you can stay focused on what you are doing, by eliminating all kinds of interruptions.

A few months ago, I wrote about the benefits of having a side or personal project, outside the context of your usual work. Although the advantages are quite obvious, it is true that it is difficult to find enough motivation (since there is always enough time) to start and finish a project that is going to take time away from other things.