What I Learned About Productivity By Writing About Productivity

Go ahead. Ask me a question about productivity. I probably know the answer. In the past six months, I’ve talked to about 200 experts and high achievers who’ve taught me how to tackle tedious work projects; get something accomplished on Friday afternoons; stay fit; and keep working when the power goes out. But five tips from my reporting stand out and have changed my daily approach to work:

Ditch your to-do list. I’m still using the Bright Method, the calendaring strategy of time management guru Kelly Nolan. It boils down to: Block out time for everything in a digital calendar (including waking, showering, dressing, exercising, etc.) so that you know what you can say yes and no to. Nolan finds that the system empowers people to make good decisions “because they realize when it’s actually impossible to take something else on.”