The power of administrivia :-)

[Edward K. Ream]

I have been extremely productive lately.  Perhaps counter intuitively, a big part of the productivity involves detailed record keeping.  This allows me to blast away, without having to remember anything. It also allows me to take real breaks, free of distraction or guilt.

Recent improvements have made a big difference:

1. The big one.  I pay all my bills and do all paperwork chores before noon each day.  This is a new life pattern, and it has ended procrastination!  My afternoons are free for relaxation, reflection, exercise and hobbies, without any guilt.

2. Another big one. When away from my office (even/especially when at home) I use post-it notes to remember everything, no matter how small it might seem. 

3. I now have two bookmarks for 6.1 related issues.  The first excludes issues labelled "First", while the second shows only issues labelled "First". This puts each issue in view only once.

4. #1326 illustrates a new pattern for summarizing issues.  The original comment almost useless.  I copied the original comment to a new (second) comment, and hid it!  I rewrote the first comment to summarize what should be done.  Instant clarity.

5. I now "delegate" all emails to the appropriate issue, creating new issues as necessary.  This keeps my inbox empty, and ensures that nothing needs to be remembered.

6. I continually add (and sometimes delete) issue labels. This allows me to organize issues as needed.

Summary

Scheduling a time for bills and paperwork has, at long last, ended a lifelong habit of procrastination.  The result has been a spectacular increase in energy at work, and relaxation away from work.

Trying to remember anything is the surest way to burnout.  Taking the time to record what needs to be remembered removes an insidious drain on energy.

Edward

[Edward K. Ream]

On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 5:23 AM Edward K. Ream wrote:

Trying to remember anything is the surest way to burnout.  Taking the time to record what needs to be remembered removes an insidious drain on energy.

Another way to summarize my work flow:  It's worth time to eliminate energy sinks.  The goal isn't to work longer, it's to work more effectively while working.

Edward