Tag: “Techniques”

During your average workday, how much time do you spend on emails and other routine activities? It’s easy to fritter away time on tasks that are necessary but not goal-driven.

Definitely one of the most important changes that have occurred in my life these past few years is having become really aware of how important it is to know when to say no. This is a keystone habit that can trigger the development of other habits and cause major changes in your life. It has helped me to become not just more efficient and productive in what I do, but also to do more of the things I enjoy and less of the things I don’t.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, thirty-fourth president of the U.S., thought that we should devote attention and time to our activities in accordance with their importance and urgency. He said, rightly, that we are too inclined to focus on the things that are both important and urgent, generating a reactive behavior based on what has to be done right now, instead of focusing on the things that are important and not urgent, which would be the basis of a more strategic behavior based on long-term goals.

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.

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.