Category: Other

Saying “No” to interruptions Our attention – particularly that proactive attention when we’re most alert, in flow and on top of our game – is arguably our most precious resource. It needs to be nurtured and valued. At the same time, there are a million interruptions out there: emails, phone calls, thoughts, stress, colleagues, social…

I am making a concerted effort to have the highest possible number of emails in my inbox this month.  It’s because I’m in the middle of my “Maynia” experiment . And do you know what?  It’s really hard!  For about five or six years now, I’ve kept my inbox at zero more or less every…

So far this year, I’ve been testing some extreme productivity scenarios.  I haven’t done this because I think they’re better than how I work normally: No, I’ve deliberately pushed myself to extremities in order to see what I learn when I’m there, and see what I learn on my journeys back to sanity. People have…

April was a bit of a strange month for my productivity experiments. For a start off, I had the last week of the month off on hols, then the week before that I spent a lot of time building up to my first London Marathon (which was ace!).  So I feel I may have blogged…

Fresh from running his first marathon, Think Productive UK founder Graham Allcott reflects on the experience and offers 10 lessons learnt the hard way…   On April 21st 2013 I ran my first marathon.  I have had a fascination with doing it for a long time and it certainly lived up to expectations – it…

Many people will tell you that allowing time and space to listen to your emotions, listen to your heart and just be mindful is either a waste of time or somehow ‘hippy psychobabble’. The Ninja knows differently – knows that it’s all about perception and there’s a greater force inside of us that we can…

Whether you’re processing your email, clearing your in-tray or just getting on with your daily work, you’ll come across ideas or recommendations that seem like they could be really useful, but for whatever reason don’t seem to fit into your current set of priorities. These are the ideas that might inform future projects. They also may not, and…

This is characteristic 4 of being a Productivity Ninja…. Protecting your attention spans and keeping focussed is hard to do. This is where the Ninja needs to employ a bit of old-fashioned stealth and camouflage.If you’re in the limelight, you might get caught in the crossfire. One of the worst things you can do is…

Organisations often ask for tips on holding effective meetings. We  say – do you need a meeting at all? If so, next time you have to chair a meeting, try these 3 tips. Start Time Tell them when the meeting’s going to start and tell them when it’s going to finish. You’re invited to a…

  This is number 3 of the 9 Characteristics of a Productivity Ninja…. Using the right tools makes Productivity Ninjas more effective. There are a range of tools out there to help keep us on top of our game. There are two broad types of tools that the Productivity Ninja needs to have in their armoury: Thinking…

  I’m currently suffering from that most modern and urban inconvenience. I am in between home wifi connections.  Until the new wifi is connected, I’m relying on the tethering of my phone to my PC and iPad and I’ve noticed that since tethering often ends up being a temperamental extra step, I’m doing more of…

Just joined us? Check out Weekly Checklist Pt 1 first!   Now you’ve set up your Weekly Checklist, it’s time to use it. I liken this next part to deep-sea diving. It’s like diving into the depths of your second brain, your own mind and your soul. You check what your second brain says is on…