Photo by Chance Gardener

Since World War II, productivity in the U.S. has doubled. So we should be working 20-hour work weeks, right? Well, we’re not. We’re working more. In fact, we’re working more than medieval peasants, and the 40-hour work week hasn’t changed since 1940 even though productivity levels have been growing steadily since then (and if you’re involved in small business starting, then your situation has probably gotten worse). Productivity simply isn’t helping most people: it’s not making them happier or leading to more free time.

The Productivity Industrial Complex

You and your company need to get things done – lots of things[.] You have invested heavily in the human factor … but are you getting all the results from your people that you could? Are they maximizing their output?
-The David Allen Company

Photo by Stewf
The Productivity Industrial Complex is a marriage between corporations and an entire industry of productivity companies, gurus, consultants, and solution-makers who help corporations squeeze every ounce of productivity from their workers. Organizations like The David Allen Company, for example, make the bulk of their income from corporations looking to “maximize their employee output,” and it’s no surprise that they have a Fortune 500-studded client list which includes Lockheed Martin, Deloitte & Touche, and the U.S. Department of Defense (see here for more of his clients).

This manifesto is largely a response to the Productivity Industrial Complex . . .

Attentional Feng Shui is the practice of purposefully and beneficially architecting the attentional landscape of a room to emphasize your priorities. The how-to section is at the very end, and you’re welcome to skip directly to it. In the mean time, let’s talk about…

False Dichotomies

In a self-help climate that favors the mind over the body, the non-physical over the physical, and heaven over earth, it can be easy to forget that physical environments have a very real affect on us. And they should. While The Secret tells us that “thoughts become things,”? it is also true that “things become thoughts.”? And whereas the Emerald Tablet is often quoted as saying “as above, so below,”? authors too often neglect the tablet’s follow-up: “as below, so above.”?

People are quick to point out that our environments are products of our creation, and that we should look past external circumstances. They are right, of course, but this is only a partial truth that ignores the dynamic interchange between physical and non-physical realms. The influence and casualty runs in both directions (from physical to non-physical, and vice-versa) and I’m glad it does.

Technorati Tags: attention, feng shui, large monitors, Productivity, Time Management

Modern life has us enmeshed in a web of unwanted and unnecessary commitments.  Most of us spend the majority of our time doing things we don’t want to do.  We join committees because we think they’ll look good on our resumes, go to birthday parties out of obligation, attend inane meetings, stay in bad relationships out of fear, take on unwanted work projects to gain favor with our bosses, stay in jobs we don’t like instead of quitting.

Unwanted commitments seem to beget more unwanted commitments.  They’re like lies: they multiply fast.  If you take on an unwanted project to please your boss, then the next time a similar project comes by she’ll throw it in your lap.  If you unhappily go to an acquaintances birthday party out of sense of obligation, they’re likely to invite you over for dinner, or call you more often.  You get my drift.

What Does this Have to do with Productivity?

Well, it’s common knowledge that productivity naturally emerges from passion: when we love what we’re doing, productivity becomes irrelevant.  The corollary is that being unproductive results from doing things you’d rather not do.

Technorati Tags: alternative productivity, anti-hacks, flakiness, job dissatisfaction, lack of energy, lack of time, passionate living, Productivity, productivity industry, quitting things, time management system, unwanted commitments

Photo by Sunfox

The Growing Life emerged 7 weeks ago sporting a tag line that read: "Durable Evolution, Meaningful Productivity."  The ever-so-wise academic in me thought "durable evolution" was both catchy and sophisticated.  A real show-stopper.  Turns out only one person liked it, and I’m pretty sure that they expressed this opinion while drunk.

At the same time that my hopes of "durable evolution" entering the common parlance were being shattered, I also discovered the beginnings of the voice for this blog.  Articles like this and this were beginning to define The Growing Life.  Additionally, I found myself questioning GTD and the role of wildly-successful sites like Lifehacker, and thinking more and more about counterintuitives as well as ideas at the so-called "bleeding edge."  In light of this, I’ve decided to change my tag line to "Alternative Productivity, Anti-Hacks for Living."  Here’s a little on what these two phrases mean to me…

I’m a distractible person.  In fact, I sometimes wonder whether I have attention deficit disorder.  Given my distractibility, I’ve long been experimenting with ways to stay on task.  Here’s the best method I’ve found.

The Sand Timer/Notepad Taskmaster

Materials Needed: (1) A lined notepad, (2) a pen, (3) a sand timer, and (4) a music player with headphones.  Note: I use a three-minute sand timer purchased here (aff) for $1.50.

Here’s what to do . . .

1. Put on Headphones
Play music that helps you concentrate.  Headphones help you focus, keeps out other distractions, and reminds others that you are working.  I’ve found that baroque music or even white noise helps, but the Awakened Mind System (aff) from Dr. Jeffrey Thompson has uncanny and magical powers that keep me focused and insightful (I’ve done a lot of experimenting).

2. Start The Sand Timer 
Start the sand timer and flip repeatedly and make sure the sand stays in continual motion.  The constant need to pay attention to the sand timer and keep it in motion forces your awareness into the present, keeps you from getting lost in thought, and prevents other distractions.

3. Write Down Every Task

• Only allow yourself to do written tasks.  If your written task is "clean up desk," you can’t check that new email that just came in or quickly check the NyTimes.com front page.
• If you need to change tasks, cross out your current task and write down the new task.  So if you’re cleaning up your desk and realize you need to email Stephen ASAP about tonight’s meeting, cross out "clean up desk," and write down "email Stephen."
• Once you’re done with a task, cross it out and move on to the next one.  So after I’ve emailed Stephen, I cross out "call Stephen" and write "clean up desk."

Final Note 
The Sand Timer/Notepad Taskmaster is effective for at least four reasons.  First, it forces you to do only one thing at a time.  Second, it forces you to consciously decide on each task before beginning it. (Because task transitioning requires you cross out tasks and write down new ones, you’re forced to become more purposeful about what you do).  Third, the constant need to pay attention to the sand timer and keep it in motion forces your awareness into the present and keeps you from getting lost in thought. Finally, the headphones and music stimulate your mind, filter out external distractions, and let others know you are trying to work.

For more time management and productivity tips, subscribe to The Growing Life today.

[tags]stay on task, focus, avoid distractions, staying productive, manage distractions, time management, Sand Timer/Notepad Taskmaster[/tags]

Technorati Tags: avoid distractions, focus, manage distractions, Sand Timer/Notepad Taskmaster, stay on task, staying productive, Time Management

Hobbyist: A person who pursues an activity in their spare time for pleasure.
-Dictionary.com

Yesterday, six headlines (of 17) appeared in the filtered “top stories” section of the most referenced productivity blog on the Internet. Here they are:

• "Get the Most from Your Rechargeable Batteries [Saving Money]"
• "Five Quick Searches That Turn Firefox’s Address Bar into a Network Command Line [Firefox]"
• "Coolest Cubicle Contest: The Final Showdown and Monster Roundup"
• "How the Kindle Saves You Time (If Not Money) [Ebooks]"
• "Embed Your To-Do List Onto Your Desktop [Lifehacker Book Contest Winner]"
• "IM App Digsby Available to All, Adds More Features [Featured Windows Download]"

These headlines the headlines of a hobbyist publication.

Fight Promotion

What do Steven Covey, David Allen, and Timothy Ferriss have in common?  They’re dudes.  Let’s face it, getting off on productivity is often a male thing.  Here’s another thing men like: kicking the crap out of each other.  Men have been perfecting that art longer than they’ve been tinkering with PDAs and other work fidgets. So when you think about it, combining productivity with kicking the crap out of each other makes good sense, especially since two of last year’s best selling productivity authors are also martial artists (I’m referring to Timothy Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Work Week, and David Allen, author of Getting Things Done).

Two shots of testosterone, coming up. . .

STATS	STATS
Name: David Allen Inbox: Zero (finished) Motto: Do it, delegate it, or defer it.   Age: 62 Fighting Style: Getting Things Done (GTD)   Experience: Former karate instructor. Religion: Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness Strengthes: Stress-free productivity.   Weakness: GTD can be unrealistically complex.	Name: Timothy Ferriss Inbox: Outsourced to Bangalore, India. Motto: Do less of it.  Outsource it, automate it, or selectively ignore it. Age: 29 Fighting Style: Four-Hour Work Week (4HWW) Experience: Championship cage fighter. Religion: Agnostic   Strengthes: Effectiveness, lifestyle design, purposeful unrealism. Weaknesses: 4HWW can be unrealistic.