Staying focused and productive is a hot subject this days. There are plenty of tutorials and lists that suggest what you should and shouldn’t do to improve your workflow. Most of these repeat each other, without saying anything new. 18 Ways to Stay Focused at Work is yet another such list. Nicely written though.
- Write out a daily task list and plan your day.
- Allocate time slots colleagues can interrupt you.
- Apply time boxing.
- Setup filters in your email.
- Do not check personal email in the morning.
- Set your IM status.
- Listen to the right types of music.
- Use the headphones but leave the music off.
- Fill up a water bottle.
- Find the best time to do repetitive and boring tasks.
- Bring your lunch and have it at your desk.
- Don’t make long personal calls.
- Clean up your desk.
- Get a good chair.
- Use shortcuts on your computer.
- Close programs you’re not using.
- Limit time on Digg, Delicious, news sites and blogs.
- Change your mindset and make work fun.
Follow the link for more explanations on each of these points.
My name is Leonid Mamchenkov and this is my personal blog. Feel free to browse around and leave comments. You can learn more about me
I’d say:
5. Don’t check personal e-mails at all during work time!
6. Delete all IM’s, unless they correspond to work, because some people just don’t read the status :)
The status of IM’s is not so much for the people, but for thyself. If status ‘away’ or ‘not available’ is set in most IMs they just don’t disturb you with new chat windows, notifications, and all that.