Oldies But Goodies: Round up of Productivity Tips

Many moons ago, I was asked for some tips on productivity by another writer and I’m fairly certain they were never used. At least, I never heard anything about them being used.

I stumbled on them recently and thought, since they never saw the light of day, I may as well share them here.

They still make good sense to me. See what you think…

From an interview with Debbie Ridpath Ohi on Time Management in January 2010:

Basically, I just do it. Whatever “it” happens to be.

I’m a morning person, so my most productive time is in the morning. I can sketch out an idea in the afternoon by hand or jot notes but I write fastest and best in the morning. So regardless of the rest of the day, I get my writing done early.

If a right-brain person is waiting to be more like a left-brain person before they can master time, they are going to be waiting for a long time. But if they explore and experiment with what works for them within their current work context, and strive for their own definition of time-management success (assuming it harmonizes with those around them), they will start to thrive and be more productive.

From Get Known Before the Book Deal:

If you haven’t had success already, you have to become productive. So productive that you hold nothing back. If you want literary success, then you take whatever success you already have and make it bigger.

A lot of writers are already prolific, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are productive. Prolific means you write a lot. Productive means you write with an eye toward the results.

The force that grows your career isn’t a miracle that occurs out of nowhere. It’s you. Are you willing to produce yourself? Or are you going to sit around waiting to be discovered?

Off the cuff…on my relationship with productivity:

No two minds think alike, therefore no two productivity strategies will work for everyone. A strategy that might delight you, might totally turn me off. Productivity might mean one thing to me and something completely different to you. But the bottom line is: are we each getting stuff done? Because that’s what really matters.

Some of the most productivity-enhancing things I do have seemingly nothing to do with productivity: taking a walk, scribbling out a list on a white board, fleshing out an idea in a sketchbook, or bouncing ideas off others. None of these things actually get the work done. But they get me ready to get the work done. And that’s what really matters.

If I had to say what’s the most important aspect of productivity for me, I’d have to say rhythm. Progress has a thrum, a beat, and movement. When I’m in my rhythm, I’m accomplishing my intentions. And when I’m not, I’m probably on Facebook.